


Two Is Better Than None

by HeyItsWrenn



Category: Naruto
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Love Triangles, Protective Hatake Kakashi, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-08
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:00:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 31,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23541994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeyItsWrenn/pseuds/HeyItsWrenn
Summary: After everything she'd been through in the last few months she shouldn't have to chose. She could have both right? After all, two is always better than none...|ON HIATUS ~ See latest update|
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Original Female Character(s), Yamato | Tenzou/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 58
Kudos: 67





	1. One.

**Author's Note:**

> Planning to update every other week but depending on how busy life is I may even update once a week.  
> Feedback is appreciate as I know how this starts and ends but I'm not sure how we get there...  
> For now I'll probably fluff about a bit, maybe make it a slow burn who knows. Tags etc will probably change as I go along seems I'm not sure what myself or readers will be wanting.  
> Anyway hope you enjoy my fumbling attempt at writing! :)

The village had no way out of this. The smell of smoke was overwhelming as houses burnt and began to crumble, the sound of people screaming as the group of rouge ninja cut them down. She struggled to take a breath.

  
“Ayako listen to me!” She turned towards the voice not registering who it was coming from. Her brain felt so foggy, she hadn’t made sense of the situation yet.  
“Where have the other girls gone?” She mumbled looking around the room.

  
_Hadn’t they been here when it all started? I swear I saw them?_

  
“Ayako you need to run and keep running. Don’t turn back for anything, do you understand?” The older woman shook her in an attempt to clear her head, making sure she understood. Ayako nodded slowly and started to crawl towards the back of the building where a small door lead to a clearing at the back of the village.  
She’s right, if I make a run for it we might just make it to the forest and find help before...  
There was a loud crash as the men started to kick in the door. She suddenly snapped out of the fog then and after turning to give the older women a quick hug she stood and ran. She didn’t look back or stop running even as she heard the screams of the older women she’d left behind.

  
***

  
Her dress was covered in muck from hiding and most of it damp from laying curled up under a fallen tree all night. Only a day had passed but as she walked cautiously to the clearing behind the village she saw the extent of the damage. Not a single building was left nor a single person, everything was reduced to ash. She forced her legs to move her over to the place where she had once lived with the older woman and other girls. Where they had laughed and shared gossip amongst themselves which they’d heard from the men they poured drinks for as they gambled away their money and possessions. They were the closest thing to family she had ever had and now it was gone, all of it.

  
“I’ve got nothing, nowhere.” She whispered to herself. As if feeling her emotions themselves the dark clouds that blanketed the sky above opened and rain started to fall. She tipped her head back feeling the drops starting to soak her dress the rest of the way through as let out the tears and sobs she’d been holding in since the previous morning.

  
She’d never been much of a camper but desperate times called for desperate measures. She’d already been walking three days to the closest village only stopping when it was so dark she could barely see a metre in front. Once stopping she would rest tucked under a tree but too on edge to get a proper sleep as every little noise had her pulse racing and her eyes flicking around making sure she hadn’t been found. It wouldn’t surprise her if the rouges knew she had gotten away and were now out looking for her to pay them back or worse, use her body to make up for what the village supposedly owed. She shuddered at the thought of having grimy hands all over her. Not even at the bar where she worked had any men been allowed to get away with touching inappropriately.

  
Tomoko, the older woman who owned the bar, would watch her girls carefully as they brought their patrons food, poured their sake and offered words of encouragement as the men gambled. Even the rogue ninja that visited knew better than to push their luck with Tomoko. Once the bar had closed for the night Tomoko would make a delicious meal and they all sat together catching up on what they’d done on their days off and share gossip of who was dating whom. Most of the girls had been out doing the shopping when they’d been attacked, Ayako had been chosen to stay back and help Tomoko prepare for the evening. She knew the girls would have been killed or maybe even taken as payment, either way the chances of seeing even one of them again was slim to none. The group of rouge ninja were greedy and boorish and were always taking what they decided they were owed but they’d never killed before. Tomoko always told them they left their villages because they weren’t the brightest of the lot and liked to play by their own rules, but if the girls stayed out of their way and did as Tomoko told them then they’d have nothing to worry about. That was until a new ninja joined, he was seemingly smarter than the rest and oh so much more menacing. When Tomoko wasn’t looking he’d test what he could get away will, sliding his hands up the skirts of the other girls as well as her own, often pressuring them to come home with him. He’d had a special interest in Ayako and had whispered warnings in her ear that if he didn’t get to taste her one of these days he’d make sure she’d have nothing and no one left but him. She pressed her palms into her eyes to stop herself from crying.

  
As Ayako walked the village slowly came into view. Her plan was to get in get some clothes and food then move straight on. This village was still too close to her own and the chances of running into an unpleasantly familiar face was way too high. As Tomoko had been telling her to run she had stuffed a purse full of money into her hand as well as a small piece of paper that gave her the location of how to find Tsunade, a woman who had spent a fair amount of time gambling and lodging at their establishment before moving on to greater things. But she had been close to Tomoko and Ayako knew she would do everything in her power to keep her safe once she heard what happened.

  
As soon as she had finished getting everything she needed she set off in the direction of the Hidden Leaf with the hood of her new cloak pulled over her head to hide her face. She had managed to walk out of the village with a pouch of necessities, a fresh set of clothes and money left over and it was the best Ayako had felt in days. Although she was well aware that word of her destroyed village, as well as the new rouge ninja group, was starting to spread as whispers from the people followed her reminding her of why she need to keep her head low and move on quickly. Maybe if she was lucky word would have already reached Tsunade and she was sending out a team of Shinobi at this very moment. After all, she had become part of the family and shared the somewhat motherly role with Tomoko looking after the girls. Either way she knew it would be at least a week of walking to the Hidden Leaf especially if she was going to keep slightly off the paths in order to avoid being found.

  
***

  
Already she had been walking for three days but avoided eating the food from her pouch and otherwise ate foods she knew were edible in the forest, last night she had even managed to catch a single fish and start a small fire. She was still exhausted from lack of sleep but at least she had food in her tummy.

  
_Maybe I’m better at this camping thing than I give myself credit for._

  
She smiled to herself as she filled her container with fresh water and washed her face. Suddenly, hearing the faint noise of a group of people from back up near the path a shiver ran up her spine.

  
_Spoke too soon…_

  
She thought as she moved closer while keeping hidden, hearing someone call the name of a man which she knew belonged to the new leader of the group that had destroyed her home. His response confirmed it was him as it was a voice she knew oh so well. She had been singled out by him many a time to pour his drink and accompany him, every time offering her the night of her life and getting too handsy resulting in him being told off by Tomoko.

  
_Night of my life? I bet sleeping in the forest provides more excitement than what he cold…_ She internally huffed at the thought before her attention was brought back to the man when she heard the pet name he had given to her.

  
“I know my Sunshine got away. They saw her running from the village and a few of the shopkeepers at the last town had seen her pass through. Who wouldn’t remember a beauty like her! Am I right?” The group laughed and agreed. Ayako’s stomach dropped.

“Boys I want her and I will not give up until I’ve found her. She’s mine.” He growled.

She felt sick, she had been certain that they thought she didn’t make it out and even if they did know they wouldn’t have followed her this far. Their voices grew softer and she made her move. No way was she going to let them find her, she needed to get to the Hidden Leaf. It was a village full of shinobi! There’s no way they’d be able to get her there. Well as long as they didnt have the chance to find her before she mad it to the village. She shook off that thought before heading further into the forest determined to find Tsunade before the men found her.

  
***

  
Her hopes had started to dull by the time over a week had passed. She had basically no food left in her pouch and hadn’t seen water in over two days, sipping the water she had left only when desperate. The forest was getting thinner too, there was less food to forage and less places to hide which meant she hadn’t really slept. The lack of sleep played up with her senses and at times she wasn’t sure if she was being followed or if it was her mind playing tricks.

  
As soon as she stumbled upon an tiny abandoned village she headed straight towards it. Village was probably an overstatement, it was a small cluster of buildings that was more like an overnight stop for travellers and had definitely seen better days. Walking through to see if anyone was there and to scout out the best location to stay the night she found a building that looked out over the trees in the direction she hoped was still going to take her to the Hidden Leaf. She’d tried to stay near the path as often as she could but after walking for this long she was convinced she had gotten lost. It had been so long since Ayako had slept in doors, she couldn’t help but have her hopes up slightly about the possibility of there being a bed around here.

  
When she swung the door open she breathed out a sigh of relief, a small kitchenette which seemed to be running drinkable water, a tiny bed pushed into one corner with a small lamp and a box of matches she hoped were still useable. Off towards the back of a room she spied a ladder, dropping her now near empty bag she headed towards it and begun the climb. A moment later her head popped out into the fresh air and dim afternoon sunlight realising she had chosen the perfect building in this tiny outpost. She scanned around the area and when she was convinced the group hadn’t tracked her she headed back down into the small room to set up her camp for the night.


	2. Two.

Ayako woke to the sound of a familiar voice shouting somewhere in the distance. Her eyes widened and she sprinted to the small ladder leading to the roof. From there she could see them fighting amongst each other a fair way off past the other end of the little village the wind carrying their voices.

“Holy shit” She breathed as she realised they’d managed to run into her again. Looking around she also realised there was no way she would be able to hide from them if she left now, there weren’t enough trees to cover her escape. There was even the risk they would burn every building to the ground if they had even the tiniest inkling that she was here. She scurried back down the ladder to throw on her clothes and pack the small amount of belongings she had scavenged when she had arrived the previous afternoon all the while trying to come up with a plan. Their yelling had stopped now and she knew they would be almost at the village. She headed down to the lower level, still trying to come up with a way that she could get out of this without it ending in being stuck as the pet of that disgusting man. As she went to peek out the window she realised they were so much closer than she thought. She sucked in a sharp breath ducking below the window.

_Have they realised I’m here? How did they know to come to this exact building?_

She knew her presence was now probably obvious to them but there was still no way she was going to give them a chance to catch her without a fight. Nearly two weeks of successfully hiding wasn’t about to be ruined. Climbing up onto one of the wooden beams that ran along the ceiling of the first level she sat quietly and waited. Only then did she notice that there was only two men and both were speaking in hushed tones.

_Weird? I could have sworn there was a whole group?_

But she didn’t have time reassess. As soon as one of them walked through the door into the shabby room she dropped from her hiding spot only seconds before the man’s head shot up to look at her. Had he somehow sensed her exact location? Those few seconds were all he needed and next thing she knew she was pinned up against the wall gasping from the wind being knocked from her lungs. 

“Why were you hiding?” The man demanded, still speaking in a hushed tone with his face only inches away. Lack of food, water and sleep was taking its toll and exerting herself with a failed attempt at an escape had only made it worse. After a minute her eyes came into focus and Ayako realised exactly who this man was or rather where he was from. 

“Tsunade” She said and weakly brought up her arm to tap the man’s happuri. Her legs began to buckle and she realised she was going to pass out.

“Kakashi get in here!” She heard the man hiss loudly, switching his hold to scoop her up without letting her drop.

 _No no! I said Tsunade you big brute!_ Was her last thought as she slipped into unconsciousness. 

***

Ayako blinked a few times adjusting her eyes to the room. It was bright, bland and smelt way too clean. Rolling her head to the side she let out a groan as she realised much to her disappointment that she’d ended up in a hospital bed after passing out. She absolutely hated hospitals and began ripping at the oxygen tube under her nose as she tried sitting up ignoring the stiffness in her arms and legs.

“That damn brute couldn’t work out who...” Her muttering was cut off when a hand with red polished nails began pushing her back down and shooing her hands away from pulling at the other tubes taped to her body.

“Now Ayako stop fussing and jumping to conclusions.” Her head snapped towards the harsh tone of a woman sitting just off to the side of her bed.

“Tsunade! My gosh he actually listened!” She breathed as she grabbed for the women needing to know she was really there.

“Ayako what happened? Why were you out in the middle of nowhere alone like that? If they hadn’t of found you who knows what could have happened!” Tsunade stood to help lift her into a sitting position then began brushing her hair back from her face, it was an unusually soothing gesture coming from the woman who could crush most men.

She shook her head in an attempt to clear it and work out where to start.

“A few months ago this guy showed up and made himself leader of the small group rouge ninja that always hung around. Next thing the village supposedly owed this guy money, a fee for all the good they do for the village.” She scoffed at the thought.

“He sent them to come through and collect the payments upfront and when the people couldn’t come up with the money it set him off. They went through and slaughtered people, burnt down buildings and destroyed everything and everyone.” Ayako dug the heel of her palms into her eyes. It was a little trick she’d learnt to stop herself from crying. Although nothing could stop the tight feeling in her throat or the sounds of people screaming that rang in her ears whenever she thought of her home. 

“I’m so sorry I wasn’t there, I never would have let that happen. But Ayako that doesn’t explain why my men found you so far from the village?” 

“I had to find you. Everyone’s gone! I had no one there, nothing left” Her voice cracked as the tears she had tried to squash began to overflow. Tsunade hushed her as her fingers continued to brush through her long hair, which she noticed needed a serious brush…

“I know, as soon as I heard I sent a team to go look for any survivors. You should have stayed close by my men would have found you so much sooner.” She let out a long sigh.

Ayako was getting ready to protest but Tsunade hushed her again, the fingers running through her hair soon sending her back into a much needed sleep.

***

Ayako found herself standing in the Hokage’s office facing Tsunade while she rummaged through her desk placing items in a box that was already near full. She had been discharged from hospital only a day or two after being admitted having been told she was fine other than being dehydrated and in need of a few decent meals. Honestly, she had spent most of the time catching up on sleep although the hospital bed wasn’t much of an upgrade from the moss covered ground she had been dealing with.

“You’ll be moving in with two of my most trusted shinobi for now. Speaking of, they should be here any minute.” She drummed her nails against the box clearly annoyed that they were even a minute late.

“Oh and Ayako I’m sorry about the living conditions but for now I can’t have you alone and I’ve been told I can’t put running the village on pause any longer.” Tsunade narrowed her eyes at the short haired female standing off to the side who pretended not to hear as she busied herself picking lint from her coat.

“It’s fine Tsunade really, I could use some human interaction. It’s been awhile since I’ve been around people and plus it’ll be nice to have some girlfriends again” She was cut short by a knock on the door and two shinobi walking in. One of which she recognised as the big brute that had a hold of her right before she passed out.

_Her two most trusted shinobi..ARE MALE? Oh no no…_

“Kakashi, Yamato this is Ayako. You’ll be making sure she’s safe and settled over the next few weeks.” She brushed past Ayako and handed the taller of the two the box from her desk.

“Anything you need ask these two.” The older woman’s hand rested on her shoulder as the two men nodded and turned to leave.

“Oh and don’t think you’ve escaped punishment for being late!” She called after them then turned to give Ayako a wink as she guided her out of the door.

Ayako was just about to begin her protest that maybe living with two men isn’t the best idea when the door clicked into place behind her. She squeezed her eyes shut, standing motionless against the door in hopes that if she was still for long enough it would somehow make her invisible. After a minute of silence she assumed her trick had worked and cracked an eye open only to see them staring straight at her. Brute was staring with eyebrows raised while the other was leaning towards her slightly with his one visible eye narrowed in disbelief.

“You weren’t… actually trying to hide were you?” The man with the near completely covered face said as the other did his best to hold in his laughter.

_Oh this is a problem..._

***

Ayako walked slowly behind the pair who were, fortunately, kind enough to take her a way home where there was less people. Right now she wanted to avoid any extra attention, especially since she currently looked worse than when she was living out in the forest. She need a hot shower and a hair brush pronto. Her attention was drawn back to the two men, thankfully lagging behind gave her the perfect chance to really get a look at them. She studied them, embarrassment flushing her face at the thought that she was about to be living with two men. Not just any men either, these guys were manly men. The kind that had to regularly shave and drank beer…

It wasn’t like she hadn’t been around men before, hell her job had basically been to be pretty and make them spend all their money. What she meant was, she just hadn’t been around men who seemed the decent type. The taller of the two and the one who had found her back at the abandoned village, aka Brute, she now knew was Yamato. He was strong looking with broad powerful shoulders but his face seemed warm and kind once she took the time to really look at him. Kakashi, however was strangely intimidating with his somewhat baggy clothing, unkempt silver hair and the all but covered face. It made him almost unreadable and that’s something she was definitely not used too, the drunk men she used to work with were easier to read than an open book…

“Is there something you’d like to ask?” Kakashi broke the silence, startling her from her thoughts.

“You’ve been staring since we left the Hokage tower. If there’s something on your mind...” He said never looking up from his book.

_How does he know when his nose is in that book?_

“No I wasn’t! I mean, I’m just thinking.” She fumbled over the words, her cheeks heating up even more having been caught out.

“Anyway, here’s home. It’s a little further out of the way but it’s peaceful and private.” Yamato cut in sensing Ayako’s discomfort at being put on the spot. She shot him a grateful look, which if he noticed her didn’t show it.

Kakashi unlocked the door and before Ayako had even made it more than a step through the door he had draped himself over one of the two couches, his attention straight back to the orange covered novel. Maybe once she worked out his deal she’d talk books with him, she used to have quite the collection herself.

“Guess I’ll give you the tour” Yamato huffed as he passed Ayako to place the box Tsunade had given him on the small dining table, then headed off towards the left of the room. Following along she noticed how clean it was considering it was the home of two males, not to mention the amount of greenery around the place...

“Over here we have the kitchen and my room.” He pointed towards a door just past the kitchen then turned back in the opposite direction.

“This here is the lounge room, we’ve got a tv but we rarely use it so knock yourself out.” She looked over at the man half laying across the couch but he didn’t so much as blink at Yamato’s comment.

“Down the hall we have Kakashi’s room at the far end, yours on the right and the bathroom to the left. Not a big place but there’s certainly room for three.” Ayako barely heard anything after the word bathroom.

_Bathroom meaning one? As in they shared a bathroom, which means SHE now shared a bathroom?_

Yamato cleared his throat and she jumped slightly as the noise broke her from the beginnings of an internal meltdown.

“If the shared bathroom is an issue I can work something out so you have your own, I understand sharing with the two of us isn’t ideal.” She turned to see that his face only showed a hint of awkwardness.

“Oh no, it’s fine! I mean I used to share with almost 10 females and I promise you that’s worse than anything you guys could put me through. Do you know how gross we can be?” She let out a half hearted laugh at her attempt to convince him and shuffled past him back into the lounge room not giving him a chance to respond. 

“What about this door?” Ayako pointed towards the back of the lounge room to the only door Yamato hadn’t shown her.

“Oh that goes into the back garden.” He headed past and opened the door leading her out into one of the most beautiful little gardens she’d ever seen. Walking out into the open she couldn’t believe that something this lovely was a part of her new home.

It was clear just by looking at the place that one of the pair had a bit of a green thumb she thought to herself as she made her way over to the small gazebo that was almost hidden from view due to being almost completely covered in green vines. She sat down in one of the large wooden chairs and tucked herself into the cushions. Off to the side of the chairs she noticed a small outdoor fireplace and immediately knew this would be her new favourite spot.

“When I first made this I used to be out here everyday. Even Kakashi would spend his time out here.” Yamato said as he took a seat opposite.

“You mean you built this yourself?” Her eyes widened as her eyebrows almost disappeared into her hairline.

“Yes, well sort of. I cheated a little by using my wood style.” What little conversation they’d been having ended and the pair sat in silence before Yamato excused himself to start on dinner.

She watched him as he walked back into the house and decided he really wasn’t much of a brute after all. She sat there as the sun dropped lower in the sky and replayed over all the recent events that had lead her to this very moment. Her chest feeling hollow and heavy. Would she really be able to get used to sharing a house with two shinobi? She missed the noise and chatter of her old home and something told her the pair inside wouldn’t be up for a wine and gossip session.

She scoffed at the thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's kinda slow to start but hopefully the second chapter has made things a little more interesting now that we know who Ayako's roomies are...  
> Next chapter up within a day or so!


	3. Three.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now I’d like to point out that this story falls somewhere not too long after the fourth ninja war, maybe a year or so. For the purpose of this story Kakashi never lost his sharingan and hasn’t been appointed Hokage and that probably won't be brought up. Age wise you guys can work out their rough ages with Ayako being 24. Some things might not match up with the anime/manga but just roll with it and enjoy!
> 
> Also please keep in mind that there may be spelling mistakes etc as sometimes even after proof reading over and over I still miss some. I'm sorry if this bugs anyone!

* * *

Dinner? Delicious after eating basically nothing for just over a week. The conversation? A little awkward if she was being completely honest. 

“So, will you both be home tomorrow?” Ayako broke the silence first. 

She noticed Kakashi was yet to eat any of his meal and wondered if it was because he didn’t want to remove his mask in front of her. What did he have to hide anyway? 

“We have to report to the Hokage in the morning and then training but we should be home before dark.” Yamato answered distracting her long enough that she looked back and Kakashi had somehow managed to make a start on his meal. She raised an eyebrow at him, which he ignored. 

“Is there something you wanted to do?” Yamato brought her attention back to him and she shook her head. 

“No, no I’m fine to stay home. I don’t think I'm ready to face people just yet. They’ll have questions.” She looked down at her food and pushed it around her plate, her appetite fading a little over the thought of being around so many people. Kakashi’s knee brushed against hers under the table and she wondered if he’d meant it as a comforting gesture or an accident. 

“Well if there’s anything you'd like we can always pick it up while we’re out? Right Kakashi?” Yamato looked pointedly at his friend across the table. 

“Sure, no trouble.” He cleared his throat before answering, shifting slightly to angle himself the opposite way when his knee brushed Ayako’s a second time. 

_Ah yep,_ _there's_ _my answer..._ She thought as her shoulders fell a little which didn’t go unnoticed by Kakashi or Yamato. 

“There’s plenty of books you can read, movies if you wanted as well. Just leave a note if you do decide to go out.” He said around half a mouthful of food in an attempt to take her attention off his silver haired friend. 

“Thank you but I’ll be fine.” She looked back and did a double take, noticing Kakashi’s plate was now empty. 

“Did you inhale that?” She asked without thinking and instantly regretted the words as they left her mouth. 

“You both just talk too much. Excuse me.” He stood from the table and cleared his plate before heading down the hall towards his room. 

Ayako watched him disappear before turning back to her food, attempting to finish her plate despite the ball of something she couldn’t quite place sitting in her stomach. She didn’t understand why he was so dismissive of her when they had only known each other for a few hours, was she really that bad? 

“Don't take it to heart.” Yamato said as if reading her mind. 

“He hates me already doesn’t he.” She was surprised she was so worried about what some stranger thought of her. Then again that stranger did just happen to be her new housemate… 

“Kakashi is a private person. He will warm up to you, you just need to give him time.” He stood and took both their empty plates to the sink. She followed and helped wash up. It was something she was used to doing anyway and she wanted to make sure she pulled her weight around them place seems they were so kind to let her stay. 

Once she finished helping put the dishes away Yamato excused himself to shower and head to his room leaving Ayako alone. She pottered around the kitchen opening and closing cupboards learning where things were kept and managed to find a notepad to make a list of a few things she would greatly appreciate them picking up for her tomorrow while they were out. She left the note in the middle of the dining table hoping one of them would spot it if she didn’t have the chance to see them in the morning. 

Afterwards she made her way into her room and closed her door just as she heard Yamato leave the bathroom. Perfect timing, she had avoided running into him and she was more than ready for a scalding shower. But had Kakashi showered yet? What happens if she walks out at the same time as him? What would she say? She shook her head to clear the babble and walked over to her bed when she noticed the box Tsunade had given her. Right on top she spotted a toothbrush, a pair of grey sweat pants and a white t-shirt that had to be at least a size or two bigger than her actual size. She shrugged grabbing the clothes and toothbrush grateful that she didn’t have to awkwardly ask Yamato or Kakashi to borrow clothes. 

She poked her head out into the hall and noticed that the bathroom was empty but the crack of light showing from under Kakashi’s bedroom door made her nervous. She darted across the hall and into the bathroom, wincing as she shut the door harder than necessary behind her. Stepping out of her filthy clothing and into the steaming water she sighed as she felt the stress and nervousness rinse right off and began to feel better than she had in days. Looking around the shower she noticed the lack of product options, there was two bottles of body wash and a bottle of two in one shampoo and conditioner. 

_Typical, not sure why I expected more_ She thought to herself and rolled her eyes. Lucky she’d added a few toiletries to her list. 

She grabbed one of the bottles and sniffed, if she was going to help herself to their body wash she may as well pick the better smelling one. She washed quickly and shut off the tap, wrapping herself up in the big fluffy towel Yamato had given her earlier while she scrubbed her teeth, again with borrowed toothpaste. Looking into the mirror above the sink she noticed the bags still under her brown eyes and how they seemed dull and lifeless, not to mention the tangle of brown hair piled on top of her head. No wonder Kakashi couldn’t look at her. She rolled her eyes at herself and quickly finished dressing. She threw the towel over her shoulder, grabbed her dirty clothes and right as she gripped the door handle it swung open, someone having opened it from the outside. Their eyes locked and she wished the floor would open up and swallow her. 

“Sorry, I hope I didn’t take too long.” Ayako stammered out as Kakashi stood off to the side to give her room to move past without the chance of them brushing against one another. 

“Did you use my body wash?” He asked as she reached her bedroom door, her face flushing bright red at being called out. 

“Oh um maybe, I didn’t have any so I…” She trailed off as he shut the door on her not waiting for her to finish. 

In a daze she turned and walked into her room, closing the door behind her just in time for her brain to catch up and make sense of what just happened. Was he serious? She threw her arms up dramatically and stomped over to the box on her bed, throwing her dirty clothes on the floor and kicking them off to the side. 

“Where does he get off? Didn’t even let me finish my damn sentence.” She spun back towards her door and poked her tongue out in the direction of the bathroom. She actually felt a little better. 

Emptying the rest of the box she found a hair brush, extra underwear, another oversized shirt with some kind of cartoon animal on the front, two boxes of tea and a small envelope stuffed with money. At the very bottom was her little bag that either Kakashi or Yamato had been kind enough to grab when they had found her right before she collapsed. Inside she still had a fair bit of money as well as a photo of her, Tomoko and the girls all smiling around the table at dinner table and the crumpled note Tomoko had written out before telling her to run. 

She stared down at the note and took a deep breath before tucking it along with the photo into the drawer of the small nightstand next to her bed. Once she had all but ripped the brush through the tangles of her hair, she braided it neatly before tucking herself into bed and without much of a struggle she drifted off to sleep. 

*** 

Ayako jumped awake, her dream turning from pleasant to nightmarish and she took a moment to remember the previous day’s events. She was safe and that’s what mattered most, taking a deep breath and slowly letting it out to slow her racing pulse she spotted the time and her slow exhale turned into something of a wail. It was almost 11am and no one had bothered to wake her. She shot up out of the bed, stuffed her feet into the slippers that someone had kindly left in her room and raced out into the lounge room. Spotting a small note in the centre of the dining table she walked over and examined it hoping that they hadn't missed her list. 

_Ayako_ _,_

_Got the list. Help yourself to food while we’re gone._

_We’ll be back before dark with dinner_ _so don’t worry about cooking._

_Coffee’s in the pot._

The note hadn’t been signed off but she knew Yamato would have been the one to leave it. Leaving notes really didn’t seem like Kakashi’s style. She poured herself a coffee and taking a sip grimaced, a shiver running through her. Whoever made this was relieve of coffee duty from now on she decided, heading back into her room to tidy up the mess she’d managed to make with the few belongings she currently owned. 

Once that was done, she brushed out her braid and tried to make her hair look somewhat presentable. It was thick and fell just past the middle of her back but was manageable when she took the time to do it. After deciding against using the washing machine to wash a single set of clothes she settled on staying in her sweats and headed back out into the kitchen in search of some cereal and another mug of below average coffee. 

*** 

Kakashi was thankful for the silence as himself and Yamato made their way from the training ground towards the market, catching their breath after a particularly full on training session. He knew Yamato was dying to question him about Ayako, he could almost hear his brain ticking away all morning. 

“So senpai, you’ve been awfully quiet, even more so than usual. Wouldn’t have anything to do with Ayako would it?” Yamato tried to sound casual but Kakashi knew he couldn’t hold it in any longer. He was glad his mask covered the unintentional grimace he pulled at the sound of her name. 

“Nope I’m just fine.” He pulled out the little orange book from his pocket hoping it would protect him from more prying questions. 

“You know you’ve only known her for a matter of hours, maybe you shouldn't pass judgement on her just yet.” He could tell Yamato wasn’t about to give up and he sighed stuffing the book back into it’s designated pocket. 

“I’m not meaning too. There's just something about her, Tenzo.” He meant it. He didn’t know what to make of the girl that had suddenly moved into his safe space. Her presence making him feel on edge. 

“You know when you left last night, she asked why you hated her. She’s aware of how you’re feeling towards her.” As he spoke he saw Kakashi’s shoulder slump forward, his usual relax posture somehow relaxing further. 

“I don’t hate her, it's just that” 

“She looks like Rin.” Yamato said simply, cutting him off. 

His head shot towards Yamato his eyes widening with the realisation that he was right. Ayako was indeed uncannily similar to how he imagined his childhood friend would look if she hadn't of died so young. Her hair was much longer than Rin’s had been but the colour and the way it framed her face was the same and her eyes, her eyes were the exact same. Big brown doe eyes that he’s sure if he looked close enough would sparkle the same way. 

“Had you not noticed the similarities?” Yamanto's expression softened seeing he wave of emotions rolling through his friend. Kakashi hid his emotions extremely well, but not well enough for Yamato. He could read him easily. 

“I'll meet you at the market. I realised I forgot something back at the training ground.” He muttered and took off into the trees without giving Yamato so much as a second to respond. 

Yamato sighed and felt a small pool of guilt form in his stomach over bringing up the ghosts of his best friend's past. 

*** 

It was just after 2pm when Kakashi used his teleportation jutsu to sneak into his room without the chance of bumping into Ayako. He needed to see her again now that he knew the reason she made him feel on edge. 

He took a deep breath and opened the door to his room, sensing that she wasn’t in the house he made his way out into the loungeroom and noticed the door out into the back garden was ajar. 

He moved forward so he could see her without her being able to spot him and spotted her tucked into the chair under the gazebo. She was sitting with her arms hugging her knees to her chest as she stared off into nothing, Kakashi bet she was replaying the events from back in her village over and over in her mind trying to work out what she could have done differently. His throat tightened, knowing all too well what that was like he’d spent years doing the same before he was able to manage it and even still, he had his moments where it got the better of him. She sniffed and wiped at her eyes before letting her head tip back, eyes closed letting the sun warm her face. He moved without thinking, and with a pop Pakkun was sitting at Kakashi’s side. 

“What’s going on Kakashi?” He said as the man knelt down beside him. 

“I, ah, I want you to go and cheer up Ayako.” Kakashi scratched at the back of his head and Pakkun instantly picked up on how awkward he was being. 

“Cheer up? Kakashi I’m not some pet mutt you know. Who is the Ayako anyway?” He went to squeeze out the gap in the door when Kakashi pulled him back.   


“Look I'll owe you one and I’ll explain everything later but for now just let her touch your paw pads or something?” 

“They are soft and supple.” Pakkun raised his paw as if to show him before again making his way out the door. 

“Oh and no talking!” Kakashi hissed and Pakkun let a yap out in return. 

He stood and watched as Pakkun bounded over to Ayako and yapped again to get her attention. Opening her eyes with a start she looked down and Kakashi couldn’t help the small chuckle at the sight of her face instantly brighten at the sight of the small pug looking puppy at her feet. She scooped him up and cuddled into him stroking behind his ears, Kakashi could tell Pakkun was loving it although he’d never admit it. 

He stood for what felt like an hour watching her relax and chat away to the small dog before he remembered telling Yamato he would be back to help with the shopping. He took in the sight of the pair cuddled up in the garden once more before turning and heading out the front door feeling the heaviness that was weighing on his chest lift slightly. Maybe if he gave her more of a chance Ayako would surprise him. He pulled out his little orange book once again and almost didn’t notice as he passed Ino and Sakura on the street. 

“Afternoon Kakashi Sensei!” Sakura chimed knowing he hated that she still called him by the title. 

“Yo” He raised his hand and gave them a crinkle eyed smile in greeting. 

“We were just heading to see if Ayako was home? We’ve brought her somethings.” Sakura said pointing to the bag Ino had been carrying. 

“Oh yeah she’s home.” He smiled again before turning back to his book and starting off down the street once again. 

“Um was is just me or does he seem to be in a good mood?” Ino said as she looked back over her shoulder at him walking away from them. 

“He didn’t even correct me calling him Sensei.” Both girls looked at each other before shrugging it off and continuing the walk to his house. 

*** 

Ayako had just walking in from the garden when she heard a knock at the front door and wondered if it was someone looking for the small dog that was currently curled up in the sun. She placed her coffee mug on the sink and made her way over to open the door. Before she had a chance to say a word one of her two visitors had opened the door and was walking over the dining table. 

“Wow so this is where Yamato and Kakashi live. It isn't giving off the bachelor pad vibes I thought it would?” The curvy blonde flipped her hair over her shoulder and turned back to look at Ayako who was still standing near the door looking between the pair of women that had all but invited themselves in. 

“Ino you can't just barge in like that! Sorry Ayako, I’m Sakura and this is Ino. Lady Tsunade told us that you were staying with Yamato and Kakashi Sensei so we decided to bring you a few things.” The look she shot her friend said that if they didn’t have company she would have pummelled her. 

“Oh thank you that so lovely but I really don’t expect” She began before being cut off by Ino as she grabbed her roughly around the shoulders. 

“Those men probably use two in one shampoo, we can't leave you to live in those conditions.” Ino snorted and Ayako couldn’t help giggle at just how right she had been. 

“Speaking of, any idea what's got Kakashi Sensei in such a good mood? I swear I heard him whistling as we passed?” Sakura said and Ino let out another snort as she started removing items from the bag on the table. 

“Wait, Kakashi was here? When?” Ayako watched as the girls shared a look. 

“He was leaving as we were got here, he let us know you were home.” Sakura said and Ayako felt the heavy flutter of anxiety build in her chest. Did he really come home and not let her know? 

“Anyway come have a seat so we can show you what we brought.” Ino shot Sakura a look that warned she was a word away from being pummelled herself as she lead Ayako by her shoulders and gently sat her at the table. 

The two began pulling out scented candles, body lotions, shampoos and a small pouch of makeup and lining them up on the table for Ayako to oo and ah at as they passed the candles picking their favourites. It didn’t take long for the pair to talk her into letting them test out the makeup they’d brought for her and soon they were chatting and laughing like old friends. It wasn’t until Sakura announced they should really get going that Ayako realised the flutter in her chest had gone and her smile had not left her face for the past hour or so the girls had been there. 

“You're so beautiful Ayako, don’t let me see that smile leave your face alright?” Ino raised a perfect eyebrow in warning and Ayako laughed. 

“Move it Ino pig and stop threatening the girl.” Sakura was pushing the noisy blonde out the front door and just beyond she could see Yamato and Kakashi walking up the path. 

“Next time we’ll bring wine.” Ino yelled fighting against Sakura as she dragged her past the two men and headed down the street. 

“Looks like you three were having fun.” Yamato said as he put the shopping on the kitchen counter and began unpacking. 

“Yeah, it really was.” She grinned as she packed up her gifts back into the bag and made her way to drop them inside her room, catching her reflection in the mirror she was surprised by how happy she looked. 

Ayako basically skipped back out into the kitchen to help and Kakashi looked to Yamato who just smiled and shrugged at her sudden shift in character. 

“Wait, do either of you own a puppy?” 

This time Yamato looked to Kakashi for answer and saw his friend suddenly busy himself with dishing out dinner. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was kinda longer than I was expecting!  
> The next one is almost finished so should be up within another few days.
> 
> Let me know if you're liking where this is heading so far. It makes such a difference knowing that people are waiting for chapter updates to see where this is heading!


	4. Four.

It was late when Ayako heard the rumble of thunder outside her window and  instantly she was on high alert. Dinner had finished and her two shinobi housemates had long since gone to bed, the rest of the house beyond her bedroom door was dark and silent. She’d never liked storms and the girls would always make room for her in their own beds whenever one rolled in back in her village. She didn’t know where the fear stemmed from, it was just how she was. The thunder rumbled louder overhead, snapping her from her thoughts and her palms became sweaty. She took a deep breath in an attempt to keep herself calm knowing full well she would have to deal with the fear on her own.

“Okay we’re going to take deep breaths and focus on something else.” She said to herself as she sat up in bed, crossing her legs and closing her eyes to focus.

She replayed the conversations between her and Yamato at dinner. He had made sure to ask about her day and the visit from Ino and Sakura, he was surprisingly kind and easy to talk to although Ayako knew he was keeping his guard up around her. Kakashi, on the other hand, was acting stranger than he had been the previous night. He chose to once again inhale his food in silence only this time Ayako had caught him watching her carefully, she could see him stare at her from the corner of her eye and it made her wonder what had suddenly made her so interesting to look at. She had considered calling him out but decided against it, especially since this was a small improvement to him otherwise  pretending she didn’t exist. As she replayed the event back in her mind a flash of lighting caused her eyes to pop open right as the power dropped out plunging her into darkness. Her chest tightened as she sat motionless, her thoughts of the small improvement she had made with Kakashi at dinner long forgotten as flashes of her village on fire replaced them, the screams rolling around in time with the thunder. Slowly her breathing became panicked, each inhale being drawn in quicker and quicker, soon she was barely able to exhale. The tingling sensation in her fingers grew until both arms were full of pins and needles which only fuelled her panic further as she lost herself to the anxiety she kept tucked away in her chest.

Kakashi had been reading when the power dropped out and decide to check on his housemates. Slipping out of his room with his mask firmly in place he spotted Yamato at the end of the hall who gave him a thumbs up before returning to his own room, shutting the door behind him and leaving Kakashi to check on Ayako. He hesitated but another loud crack of thunder snapped him out of it and he knocked gently on her door, when she didn’t answer he assumed she was sleeping and unbothered by the storm. As he turned to head back to his own  room he heard the small  choked noises from beyond Ayako’s door and on instinct opened it to check on her. He found her curled up tightly on her bed, noticed how her body shuddered and was by her side within seconds of closing her door. Her eyes were squeezed shut and her hands balled into fist as she sucked air between her teeth at a rate the he knew would soon cause her to pass out. Again on instinct and without a shred of hesitation he gently placed a hand on her shoulder, her eyes snapped open and straight to his face, the fear there visible even in the dark.

“You’re safe, I’m here. You’re alright” He said as he gently rubbing a soothing circle on her back.

She stuttered out his name and suddenly her hands were fisted in his shirt pulling at the fabric as she brought herself against him, pressing her face to his chest and not caring for a second that he possibly hated her. At that moment in her mind she needed more than anything to be close to him.

For a moment Kakashi stayed motionless before very slowly wrapping  his arms around her and continuing to rub soothing circles, s hocked at how easily she trusted him after how he’d treated her over the past two days.

“Ayako you need to slow your breathing for me or you'll faint.” He said gently, pulling back to see that her face was pale and her lips had turned a light shade of blue.

He moved his hands to either side of her face and told her to look at him. Her eyes met his and briefly flicked to his closed sharingan before settling back on his open one, noticing how it was filled with concern.

“Breathe in... and then out...” He guided her,  running his thumb back and forth along her cheek until her breathing began returning to normal. 

“That’s it, Good girl” He cooed and she ignored how her stomach tightened at hearing him praise her.

“I’m sorry” She  whispered, a tear slid down her cheek which he brushed away before letting go of her face. 

He stood from kneeling in front of her and instead carefully moved to sit beside her on the bed.  “You have nothing to be sorry about. Was it the thunder?” 

“I’ve never been too fond of storms but with everything that’s  happened... ” She closed her eyes and took a deep  shaky breath and realised the storm has all but passed.

“I get it. I’ll give you some space.” He stood to leave but felt a tug on his t-shirt, looking down he saw her hand was back gripping onto the fabric and he sat again.

“Can you just stay for a bit?” She asked without looking at him bracing for his rejection. 

Kakashi nodded, not missing the mix of surprise and relief as it flashed across her face. She quickly moved under the covers and snuggled herself in yawning as she poked one arm out to again hold onto his t-shirt as if making sure he wouldn’t leave too soon. He sat without moving waiting until he heard her breathing even out and when it  did he shifted slightly so he could look at her. H is heart tugged at how right Yamato was, she really did look like Rin and as he raised his hand to brush the hair from her face he wondered if this was the worlds way of punishing him or maybe giving him a second chance. He hopped for the latter but knew things rarely went that way for him.

After spending almost half an hour just watching  her, he stood and as quietly as he could  used a summoning  jutsu to once again called on  Pakkun . He whispered to  Pakkun and as he left he looked back and smiled, watching as the small dog wormed his way under her arm to pressed himself close to her side. 

*** 

Ayako woke and immediately felt the small ball of warmth tucked closely against her, a big grin stretching across her face when she saw who it was. Sitting up she rubbed behind the small dogs ears and he woke with a huff. 

“Sorry puppy,” She said softly as he stretched and moved to sit on her lap.  “Where did you come from?”

She looked at the closed door confused as to how he managed to get in. The events from the storm came back to her and she frowned. Had Kakashi stayed for long? Would he be mad at her for keeping him awake and for acting so silly? More importantly, why had he even bothered with calming her to begin with?

Pakkun raised his paw as if sensing where her thoughts were heading and snapped her attention back to him. He  succeeded and she gasped in delight.

“Aww look at your little pink puppy toes!  They're so soft!” Ayako giggled and spent a few minutes rubbing his paws before informing him she needed to get up.

As Ayako slipped her feet into her slippers, checked for potential eye boogers and bed head while  Pakkun waited patiently for her to open the door.

She laughed as he bounded out into the living room and Ayako quickly made use of the empty bathroom to clean her teeth and use the toilet before joining Yamato and Kakashi in the kitchen.

“Morning” She beamed at the pair seated at the dining table and Yamato smiled before standing and headed to the kitchen. 

She made her way over to Kakashi, who she could tell smiled back at her this time by how his eye crinkled and mask lifted slightly. Her smile grew even more at his friendly response and she scooped up  Pakkun before sitting with him perched on her lap. Yamato made his way back to the table, placing a steaming mug of coffee in front of Ayako before he sat and went to take a sip of his own. His hand paused mid-way suddenly spotting the dog sitting happily on Ayako’s lap.

Yamato raised an eyebrow, “Pakkun?” he said looking between the three in front of him.

“ Pakkun !” Ayako gushed squeezing  Pakkun to her chest. “Oh Yamato your puppy is so cute!”

Yamato looked over at Kakashi who was watching her smother the small dog, an amused look on his face.

“I hope you’re feeling better.” Kakashi cleared his throat and turned his attention back to his coffee suddenly feeling on edge at the idea of having to have a conversation with her and wishing he had of kept his mouth shut.

“I do and thank you,” She looked at Kakashi and gave a small seated bow. “I  really appreciate what you did last night.”  He shuffled in his seat and was just about to excuse himself when  Pakkun pipped up in his gruff voice.

“Don't worry Kakashi, I let her touch my paw pads and that cheered her right up.”

Kakashi and Yamato both stiffened and watched as Ayako’s faced shifted from surprise to confused then settling on something of a mix between fear and  shock before she leapt from the chair with a yelp causing Pakkun to be thrown onto the floor as she put distance between herself and the small dog.

“H-h-he can s-speak!” She stumbled over the words as she pointed at  Pakkun , eyes wide.

“ Of course I can talk who” Kakashi scooped him up and used one hand to cover his muzzle to keep him from saying more. 

Ayako stood frozen as she looked between the pair of shinobi who were both sitting as still and blank as statues, watching and waiting for her next reaction. She shifted her foot slightly preparing for the short sprint back to the safety of her room and when the rest of her body  unfroze, she darted for the door and slammed it shut behind her not hearing Yamato calling after her.

***

“Am I missing something?” Yamato asked his friend, eyes still glued to where Ayako had just  disappeared into her room.

“Ayako had a panic attack last night from the storm,” Kakashi shrugged, letting  Pakkun’s muzzle go. “ She was pretty worked up so I didn’t push with questions.”

“You mean you spoke with her? How was that?” He was  shocked that his friend had changed his tune about Ayako so quickly. 

Kakashi knew what he was doing and chose to ignore him. For as long as they had been friends Yamato would always try to making him talk about his thoughts and feelings, knowing that he had a  plethora of them built up inside.

“And how did  Pakkun become involved with this?,” Yamato changed to subject sensing his senpai wasn’t up to talk feelings. “You didn’t think that a talking dog might have been a little much for her at the moment? No offence Pakkun.”

“None taken.” Pakkun said as he jumped from his pack leaders lap to take up a seat on the couch.

“I thought a  _ silent _ Pakkun,” Kakashi trailed off making a point to stare down his pug. “Would be a good distraction for her.”

“Yeah sorry about that boss.”

Kakashi shook his head and Yamato stood from his seat at the table to head towards the garden.

“Senpai remember were catching up with  Genma and the others tonight. You can't bail on this one either.” He turned back to see Kakashi’s hands up in mock surrender.

“Yamato, I wouldn’t dream of missing out on a catch up with  friends . Who do you take me for?”  Of course, on the inside he was wracking his brain for ways to get  out of the invite.

“Good, you can ask Ayako if she'd like to join.” He chuckled catching a look of panic on his friends face as the door to the garden closed.

Kakashi sat motionless for a few moments trying to decide on whether or not it was worth faking an illness when  Pakkun spoke up.

“Say Kakashi, the girl.” He shuffled uncomfortably from his spot on the couch. “She looks a lot like your Rin.” 

Kakashi’s chest pinched at the words  _ your Rin,  _ his teeth clenching so tight his jaw popped under the strain.

“ Pakkun please not now and pass it onto the others as well, no questions about that because I don’t have any answers.” He  stood, grabbing his book and making his way out into the garden suddenly feeling like some sunshine would be good for him and his pack.

“You’ve got it Boss, not a word from any of us.” He muttered as Kakashi  summoned the rest of the pack giving them a chance to roam the garden and hopefully, if she ever emerged from her room, scent Ayako. 

***

Ayako had been sitting on the floor against her door for almost an hour now. At first she had been terrified by  Pakkun ,  she'd never heard of a talking dog before let alone had one speak up right  in front of her but as she sat  there, she started to worry over what she had said to  Pakkun when she met him out in the garden. She jumped up from her seat at the door and started to pace back and forth across her room letting her internal monologue run rampant. 

_ Did I say anything to him that I wouldn’t want told to anyone else? Oh no, did I do anything weird like pick a wedgie? Or worse... my nose?! _

The sound of a bark pulled her attention back to her room and she  halted her pacing as she heard another bark that  seemed to come from just outside her window. Was there more than one dog near their house? She climbed over her bed to peek out the window and saw nothing, leaning further towards the glass she attempted to see around the side of the house when a huge black dog popped up from below her  windowsill . She  squealed falling back onto the bed as the gruff voice she was certain belonged to Pakkun called the dog away.

She scrambled upright and off the bed racing to the garden, if there was one thing that was going to make her forget her talking dog troubles it was, of course, more dogs. In her haste she forgot to brush back the hair from her eyes and managed to almost lose a slipper before slamming straight into a human wall. The impact knocked the wind out of her and she lost her footing, squeezing her eyes closed to brace for her back to land hard on the carpeted floor but before it could a strong arm wrapped around her waist holding her upright. 

“Where are you running too?” The human wall said and she could hear the smile in his voice.

She cracked one eye open and as she looked up, saw that the human wall was Yamato and she was currently flush against him with her hands against his chest. A small flutter of panic rose in her stomach and with both eyes now open and flicking back between his face and her hands against his chest she became aware of just how broad and tall he was.

“I heard dogs.” Ayako managed to say as he let his arm fall from her waist and she couldn’t help but feel a tiny bit of  disappointment replace the panic flutter.

“That’s the rest of Kakashi’s pack.” He chuckled again.

She was craning her neck to look around him when he stepped off to the side to  give her a better view into the garden.

“Ayako are you feeling okay?” His serious tone caught her attention and she looked up at him not knowing if he was  referring to finding out  Pakkun was someone she could have a literal gossip session with or her  late night panic  attack. Maybe even both?

“I’m fine.” She tried to give him her most convincing smile.

“Just as long as you know I’m someone you can talk to when  you're upset or overwhelmed.”

“Thank you,” Her throat felt thick. “I really appreciate it.” 

He let her go then, sensing that she wasn’t ready to dig right into her emotions just yet and not wanting to push her. But as he began watering the greenery within the house the corner of his mouth lifted into a knowing smile and he wondered if they would both realise the little  similarities they both shared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the lack of happenings at the moment but I promise I have plans to bump it up a notch shortly!  
> This chapter turned out unbelievebly longer than I was intending so has been split into two parts. Part two will posted in two days time!
> 
> As usual please leave kudos and comment favorite parts, thoughts etc as the feedback is really motivating :)


	5. Five.

Kakashi was watching her from over the top of the well worn copy of his favourite book, as she lay stretched out in the late morning sun. Her back propped against Bull as he dozed, Pakkun on her chest enjoying getting his ears rubbed (which of course he would never admit) while the rest of the pack snuggled in close to her sides. 

His pack had taken and instant liking to her and had spent most of the morning introducing themselves and causing a ruckus in the back garden which resulted in some of Yamato’s flowers being slightly squashed, which he was now fussing over in the corner of the garden. 

“Hey Ayako,” He spoke and noticed Yamato’s attention shift from the flowers to listen in. “If you, ah, have no plans tonight, Yamato and I are going to a bar with some friends.” He quickly glanced towards Yamato who was giving him the thumbs up. 

“Sorry, I actually have plans.” She responded without even looking at him. 

“Oh um.” Kakashi scratched the back of his head feeling uncomfortable until he heard Ayako giggle. 

“What plans could I have possibly made Kakashi.” She looked up at him with a smile that made her eyes crinkle and his brain went blank at how familiar it felt. He could only give a slight nod before returning his attention back to pretending to read as he watched her interact with his pack. 

Yamato made his way over to where Kakashi was sitting, noting that Ayako’s breathing had evened out and she was now napping almost completely covered by the pack. He shook his head as he took a seat across from Kakashi, who was now free to stare at her without the possibility of her catching him. 

“They’ve really taken a liking to her.” Kakashi started slightly at the sound of Yamato’s voice. “Do you think it's because they’ve noticed she looks like her?” 

“Maybe,” He sighed and rubbed a hand down his face. “I still can't believe it.” 

“Have you thought about talking to the Hokage? They seemed to have a bit of history, I’m sure she has answers on whether or not it’s a coincidence.” 

“I thought about it but I’m not sure if Ayako would appreciate me prying into her past without asking her directly.” Kakashi’s slouched forward to place his elbows on his knees, avoiding meeting Yamato’s stare. 

“You know,” Yamato stood before he finished. “I think maybe you’re just not ready to hear the truth.” 

Kakashi looked up at him and sighed as his friend walked over to wake Ayako for lunch. As usual he was dead on, which didn’t surprise Kakashi at all seems his friend had become somewhat of a mind reader when it came to him over the years. He appreciated it more than he would admit, never pushing him to talk and always knowing when he needed to be left alone with his thoughts. 

*** 

Ayako’s bedroom door swung open. The frown on her face made it clear she was not in the same cheerful mood she had been just under 10 minutes ago when she had disappeared into her room to get ready for their night out. 

“Can I please borrow a shirt?” She mumbled walking out in a pair of tight-fitting black pants and black shinobi sandals that came to her mid-calf, both kindly given to her by Ino who had insisted that her clothes would be much more suited to her than Sakura’s. Too bad Ayako had left it till now to go through said clothes and find out that Ino was completely and utterly wrong. 

“Besides these, everything that Ino gave me doesn’t fit or really isn’t appropriate to be wearing out in public, even a bar.” She’d dug for a simple t-shirt or even a summer dress but the pile was full of clothing she wasn’t even sure would pass as underwear and those that did gaped open in the front where Ayako was seriously lacking compared to the busty blonde. 

“You can grab one of mine if you want.” Both her and Yamato looked at Kakashi with the same expression, eyebrows raised, as soon as he’d blurted it out. 

“Or Yamato’s if that’s what you prefer.” He scratched the back of his head nervously, wishing he hadn’t of offered so quickly. To his surprise she turned and headed for his room opening the door and peering in as if something were going to jump out at her. 

“They’re in the dresser to your right.” Kakashi called to her then turned to find Yamato staring at him with a grin stretched across his face. 

“That was smooth. Hidden Leaf's supposed hot shot gets asked to borrow a shirt and he can’t even” he was cut short by the wet dish towel being thrown into his face. 

“Is this one fine?” She held a plain grey t-shirt up to him and when he nodded she grinned before once again disappearing back into her room to finish getting ready. 

“I am not a hot shot.” He hissed as he dropped the forced smile he had put up at the reappearance of Ayako. 

“Pft women love the mysterious copy nin even if you’ve basically taken a vow of celibacy.” Yamato let out a groan and doubled over from Kakashi’s fist knocking the wind out of him. 

“Tenzo, you are undoubtably more celibate than me.” He chuckled and loosened up a little. It wasn’t often the pair would joke about the more intimate side of their personal lives. 

Yamato’s attempt at a comeback was stopped short by Ayako waltzing out of her room. With her hair cascading down her back in brown waves, minimal make up and Kakashi’s shirt tied at the front with the sleeves rolled, she looked happier than she had since the shinobi pair laid eyes on her. Kakashi looked away not sure what emotion the sight of her in his shirt was stirring in his chest. 

“Okay I’m ready!” She visibly buzzed with excitement. “Hope I didn’t keep you waiting?” 

“Not at all, lets head to meet with the others?” 

Ayako agreed and followed the two men out into the cool night air feeling like she might explode with excitement, but as they got closer and she could hear the faint thrum of music from the building just up ahead her excitement started to dwindle a little. Was she really ready to be around so many people? 

Before she had realised what she was doing her hands had gripped onto the back of both Yamato and Kakashi’s shirts, the pair of them stopping to look down at her. 

“Oh sorry,” She let out a shaky laugh at being caught. “I'm just a little nervous.” 

With that the pair shared a look before moving to position Ayako between them as they entered the dimly lit bar. She flushed as they made their way through the crowd and towards the outdoor area at the back, her front pressed close to Yamato’s back while she could feel Kakashi’s warmth at her own back. 

When they approached a table that already had a number of occupants, she realised that they were most likely the last to arrive and braced herself as five sets of eyes brushed past Yamato and Kakashi landing straight on her. She gulped back her nervousness as Yamato took a seat then shifted to hold her steady as she stepped over the bench and took her seat in the circle. 

She scooted over to make more room but before Kakashi had the chance to take the spot to her right a body pressed against her side sending her reeling back into Yamato. The unfamiliar male grinned cheekily around the senbon that was between his teeth, “Who have we got here?” He drawled before Kakashi smacked him over the back of the head and motioned for him to move back over, his masked face showing just a hint of annoyance. 

“Ayako this is Genma,” Kakashi took three beers from a waitress that had suddenly appeared at their table, handing one to her as he introduced the cocky male. “Genma, before you think about being your usual charming self, don’t.” 

“Well Ayako aren't you something.” He said, completely ignore Kakashi’s warning and Ayako could only smile in response, unsure of what to say. 

“And that is exactly what I’m talking about,” He shook his head. “Next to Genma is Anko, then Kurenai, Gai and next to Yamato is Shikamaru.” 

She took a sip of her beer as she studied the group around her trying to take her mind off how she was pressed into both Kakashi and Yamato from hip to knee. Something in her middle fluttered when she realised Kakashi wasn’t pulling away from her like he had the night at the dinner table. 

“Nice to meet you Ayako,” Kurenai said in a kind voice which made Ayako relax slightly. “How has it been having to share a house with these pair?” 

“Oh it's been fine, I don’t mind at all.” 

Anko snorted into her beer and waggled her eyebrows, muttering something about wearing Kakashi’s shirt before Kurenai shot her a warning look which had the woman turning her attention back to her beer. 

Ayako flushed pink at the woman’s assumption as to why she was in Kakashi’s t-shirt but was soon distracted by the others and joined in talking and laughing as easily as she had the day Sakura and Ino had come to visit. Before long she found herself on her third beer and feeling relaxed and giddy from the alcohol, she was so thankful their friends had been so easy to get along with. 

“So Ayako my youth filled friend how did you end up in the Hidden Leaf.” Gai bellowed from across the table, leaning forward so dramatically that he nearly knocked Shikamaru’s cigarette right from his mouth. Her stomach dropped at the question she hadn't expected was going to come up. 

“I um,” Her throat tightened and she took a large sip of beer trying to wash the feeling down. “It’s a funny story actually.” 

The whole table had turned their attention to her and a few faces showed how sorry they were that Gai had brought it up. The tightness in her throat moved into her chest and she shot up from the table, all but falling over the bench in an attempt to remove herself from the situation. 

“Excuse me, I need the bathroom.” She said too cheerfully then headed away from the table and into the crowd leaving the group of stunned shinobi behind. 

In the swarm of bodies she started to think that maybe all that beer on an empty stomach wasn’t such a good idea and on top of the spinning of her head she was starting to spiral into a panic, her breathing becoming ragged. She should have just stayed at the table with Yamato and Kakashi, they would have kept her safe and taken the attention off her. Now she couldn’t tell which way was out and the crowd felt like it was suffocating her. 

All of a sudden a hand came to rest on her shoulder and she turned to see Kakashi behind her. He moved his hand to the back of her neck, gently guiding her in the direction of where she could see Yamato standing and once again she was pressed between the two of them as they moved through the crowd. She closed her eyes letting them lead her towards the exit, the warmth and pressure of Kakashi’s hand against the back of her neck helped her focus and once she was out in the fresh air she sucked in deep breaths managing to catch herself before her panic could get the better of her. 

“I'm so sorry.” She looked up at the pair as they stuck close to her, hiding her from the view of the intoxicated people who wandered past. 

“Don't be sorry, let's just get you home,” Yamato turned and scooped her up bridal style. “We probably should have warned them that some questions would be too much for you at the moment.” 

She looked around quickly to make sure Kakashi was following and when she saw him fall into step beside Yamato she relaxed into his hold, wrapping her arms around his neck to rest her head against his shoulder. Neither of them said another word and the rocking of Yamato carrying her and the warmth of his chest soon had her falling asleep. 

*** 

The sound of muffed talking from the hall woke Ayako and she groaned when she realised the sun hadn't even come up yet. She stumbled from her room to inspect what the fuss was about and found Kakashi leaning against the kitchen counter, looking like he had also not long rolled out of bed. He was in sweatpants, a dark sleeveless shirt with a mask attached and his hair messier than usual. Yamato on the other hand was dressed in his shinobi gear and stood packing some weapons from the table into his pack. She rubbed her eyes struggling to form a sentence through the fog of sleep that hadn't yet lifted. 

At the same time both men looked to her and their eyebrows shot up in shock at the sight of Ayako barefoot, in nothing but Kakashi’s t-shirt rubbing the sleep from her eyes with the backs of her hands like a child would. They looked back at each other with mirrored expressions of shock, silently thanking whatever higher power had been kind enough to at least make sure the shirt was no longer tied up near her belly button and instead covered her underwear...just. Kakashi turned away from her as he felt a blush creep up his neck and left Yamato to control the situation. 

“Ayako it’s early go back to bed,” He left his pack on the table and walked towards her. “I have to leave for an overnight mission but Kakashi will be home.” 

“You’re leaving.” She looked up at him and his chest fluttered at the look of worry in her eyes. Was she worried for him? It had been a long time since he’d seen that look, he’d all but forgotten what it was like to have someone worry for him. 

“Not for long, just one night.” He put a hand on her shoulder, steering her back to her bed. 

As he helped tuck her back into the covers she caught his hand and gave it a small squeeze and mumbled sleepily for him to be careful before she crashed out again. He looked down at her small hand in his and ran his thumb gently over her knuckles. She was so different to the other females he was surrounded by and he found that he was starting to really enjoy the change. Unlike his kunoichi friends who had become hardened, both physically and at times mentally from fighting and training, Ayako was all softness. 

“You as well huh?” Kakashi said from his position against the doorframe. 

Yamato sighed and tucked her hand back under the covers before turning and following Kakashi back out into the kitchen. 

“I’ll be back in a day or so,” He threw his pack over his shoulder and made his way to the front door, just before it closed, he added. “Look after her for us.” 

Kakashi stood for a moment starting after his friend wondering what he meant by _for us_. Was his friend finally showing some interest in someone? That would be a first, although he couldn’t blame him. He turned to head back to his own bed and paused as he passed Ayako's room, they’d forgotten to shut the door and he could see her face as the first hints of sunlight peeked through the window next to her bed. Closing her door the rest of the way he let out the breath he didn’t know he had been holding in and decided it was time for him to visit the Godaime and find some answers. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed and remember to leave a kudos, comment or both! I really appreciate any and all feedback from you all :)
> 
> Also I was wondering if you guys prefer more frequent but shorter chapters or chapters that are longer but maybe take twice as long to come out?


	6. Six.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Just wanted to say I’ve recently started a tumblr. Nothing impressive as I’m still learning but would love to follow readers so if you guys have tumblr let me know in the comments! 
> 
> On tumblr: heyitswrenn

It was late morning and Ayako was still bundled under the covers of her bed hiding from everything that lay beyond her bedroom door. She couldn’t believe that she acted the way she had last night in front of Yamato and Kakashi’s friends and on top of that she didn’t know if she was ready to face Kakashi alone.  Although she had to admit he had been so different with her yesterday, almost like he was trying to make an effort after a rocky start. It made her feel like maybe being housemates with a pair of  _ male  _ shinobi wouldn’t be as bad as she originally thought. Even the shared bathroom  hadn't been an issue they were, dare she say it, easy to live with.

_ You need to put on your big girl pants, go out there and start proving to him you’re not the complete mess that you’ve made yourself out to be... _

She  huffed in defeat at the fact that she couldn’t just hide in her room forever and slowly rolled from the bed. Tugging on her  sweat pants she looked at her reflection and decided that with her limited clothing options, these were as big girl as her pants were going to get. She was still in Kakashi’s t-shirt and wondered if he would mind if she didn’t return it just yet, even after wearing it all night it still faintly smelt like him and she was loving it. Grinning to herself she made her way out into the kitchen to pour herself a coffee before making her way over to the free couch, eyeing Kakashi who was lazing across the other with his nose again buried in his book. 

_ Surprise  _ _ surprise _ _... _ She thought to herself before taking a sip of her coffee. Once again she had to hold back the urge to spit it back into the cup, she  _ really _ had to find out who she was relieving from coffee making duty.

“Ayako,” She sat up straight, not  realising he’d been watching her. “Is there something wrong with the coffee?”

“ Oh this coffee?” She pointed nervously at the mug. “ No it’s great! Thank you for making it, you didn’t have too.”

“I didn’t”

“No  no really it’s  delicious .” To prove her point she took a big mouthful, humming fake enjoyment. 

“Ayako, I didn’t make the coffee it was Yamato who put it on before he left.” He had to hold back a laugh at the way her face dropped, mouth still full of coffee.

“Are you  serious ?” Her eyes narrowed at him. “You mean you didn’t make this?”

“Nope,  wasn't me.  Plus there’s no way I'd make coffee that terrible.” He replied and Ayako’s eyes bugged open.

“You mean you knew how terrible it is and yet you still let me drink it? You still let me suffer?” She pouted over her mug at Kakashi and for a moment he was thankful for his mask, certain that his cheeks were pink from how cute she looked when she made that face.

“That’s really low.  So, to make up for it I think she should be the one to tell Yamato he’s banned from making coffee.” She took in his expression and tried to make sense of it, he seemed almost relaxed around her this morning and boy was it a welcomed change. 

“You obviously  haven't seen Yamato upset.” He said, noticing the way she was staring at him intently.

“Does he sulk?”

“Worse, he  get’s this sad puppy look. Even worse than I’ve seen on  Pakkun , it’s heartbreaking.” He pocketed his book and sat up on the couch like a respectable shinobi would. “No way I want to be the cause of that, my  conscience can't take it, so  you're on your own.” He found himself almost smiling at the sound of her laughter.

“Oh wow, is it bad that I  kinda want to see that.” She tucked her legs up onto the couch as he stood, eyeing the clock knowing if he didn’t leave now to see  Tsunade he might not have the courage to do so again. 

“Only a little.” He gave her as much of a smile as he could  muster. “I’m heading out for  a while but I  won't be too long.” Her face fell at his mention of leaving and he paused, nervously rubbing at the back of his head.

“I’ll leave the pack here for you if  you'd like?” At the mention of the pack he saw her eyes light up.

“Yes please, if that’s okay?” Ayako loved having the pack around but didn’t want Kakashi to feel like he couldn’t take them with him. They were his ninken after all.

“Of course.” He used a summoning and secretly loved how Ayako looked in wonder as the pack appeared out of thin air, although he was a little annoyed that the thought of impressing her made him feel anything at all. “I’ll be back soon. Pakkun, would you please try talk Ayako out of telling Yamato how bad his coffee is?”

“Oh no Ayako, you don’t want to see him walk around with the sad puppy dog face. It’s heartbreaking.”  Pakkun said in his gruff voice and the rest of the pack all gasped and nodded in agreement.

“Now I  _ really  _ have to see it!” She laughed out as the pack all but smothered her for attention and Kakashi slipped out the front door.

As he headed to the  Hokage tower he again started wondering if maybe ignorance really was bliss, spending the walk again battling with himself over if he wanted to know the truth or not. His little interaction with Ayako the night of the storm and this morning was confusing him into thinking that maybe he could ignore the similarities and put it down to mere coincidence. 

_ Would it really be worth it to know the truth? _ He paused and thought to himself as he spotted the  Hokage tower coming into view. After a few moments he took a deep breath and started back on his way to see the Godaime, realising that deep down he needed the truth if he was going to make this living arrangement work.

** *** **

Kakashi stood in front of  Tsunade’s desk as she sat shuffling through papers mumbling to uttering to herself in annoyance. 

“Well Hatake, what is it? I haven't got all day to wait for you to string a sentence nor the room for you to take up space in my office” She snapped at him and he realised he’d been standing there in silence for way too long. This was already much harder than he had been expecting...

“Hokage-sama,” He paused again still not knowing how to begin. “I need to talk to you about Ayako.” 

He noticed her shoulders stiffen slightly at the mention of Ayako’s name before she motioned with a flick of her wrist for  Shizune to leave them alone and with that he already knew this conversation was probably going to be everything he was dreading. His stomach dropped as the look on Tsunade’s face told him the feeling was mutual.

“Ah yes I was wondering how long before you worked it out.” She said and Kakashi didn’t think it was possible for his stomach to drop further, but hearing that proved him wrong. “I’m assuming you’re here for answers?”  Tsunade looked up at him then with an arched eyebrow and her fingers laced together beneath her chin. 

“I didn’t notice at first, it wasn’t until Yamato mentioned something. Now when I look at her all I see is Rin.” He tried to keep his voice free of emotion but it cracked over his teammates name. He’d always done his best to avoid talking about his teammates and although it certainly hadn't gotten  easier, he had learnt to somewhat manage his emotions over the years, or so he thought. Yet now here he was still unable to mention their names without his throat tightening uncomfortably. 

“Take a seat Kakashi,” She gestured towards the chair in front of her desk and waited for him to sit before continuing. “I was worried if I told you before sending you to find her that it would have affected your ability to complete the mission as well as you did.” When he didn’t respond she pushed on figuring he was preparing himself for what she was about to tell him. 

“Ayako’s full name is Ayako  Nohara . As far as I’m aware, Rin and her mother had no idea about the affair.”  She watched as something like pain mixed with confusion passed over his face briefly before it settled back into an unreadable mask. He was  unbelievably good at hiding his emotions but  Tsunade had spent enough time with him to be able to read his one visible eye. “ Rin’s father met and fell in love with a civilian woman while on a mission, he’d visit her often when he was out of the village on missions and after a  while he found out she was pregnant. He died on an A Ranking mission before ever meeting Ayako.”  Tsunade let out a long sigh as she bent to retrieve a bottle and two small cups from her bottom drawer before pouring them both a drink.

“Does Ayako know?” He thanked her with a slight nod of his head then shifted his mask slightly and knocked the drink back in one go, hoping it would loosen up the tight feeling in his throat. “I mean about her father or Rin?”

“She knows,”  Tsunade finished her own drink and poured them both another. “Tomoko never kept anything from her. Ayako’s mother took her own life when she was 5 and seems Ayako had no immediate  family, her  mother's friend Tomoko took her in and raised her as her own.”

“She was basically the same age as I was.” He could hear the strain in his voice but if  Tsunade picked up on it she didn’t show it which he was thankful for.

“You and Ayako have a few things in common, it's actually one of the reasons I wanted her to live with you and Yamato.” She poured them a third drink, sneaking glances at the door obviously keeping a watch out for  Shizune as if the woman would bust through the door and catch them at any moment.

“How do you know all this? Did you know their father?” He felt weird saying it that way,  _ their  _ father.

“I didn’t know him personally. But I spent a large amount of time in Tomoko’s establishment, if offered a place to sleep, drink and gamble,” She shrugged as if that was an  acceptable explanation. “I hit a streak of bad luck and Tomoko let me stay with her and the girls, she ran a bar but she also looked after a few young girls who had no family and made sure they didn’t end up on the street. Ayako was only young back then but I could easily recognise the similarities between her and the Nohara’s so I questioned Tomoko about it, she filled me in on the rest.”

A few moments passed as he tried to make sense of it all before he stood abruptly to leave, wishing he could snatch the bottle of sake from  Tsunade’s table and take it with him knowing he’d be needing something to quiet his brain from the next few hours at the very least. He’d  definitely seen this coming, of course he’d  _ know _ there was no way the similarities could be just a coincidence but that didn’t mean he was going to take the news like it was nothing.

“Kakashi, I really think the pair of you will benefit from knowing each other so I hope what I’ve told you doesn’t change anything between the pair of you ” Her voice took on an almost gentle tone before she added “And I hope you’re alright.”

Without answering he disappeared with a pop using  his teleportation  jutsu to return home, needing to be alone with his thoughts and not risk the chance of running into someone on the walk from the  Hokage tower to his house. Once in the safety of his room he dropped slowly to the floor and lent back against his bed, clenching his hands into fits so tightly that his hands shook. He was so confused and angry, not at  Tsunade personally but the whole situation. How was he supposed to not let this new information change things between himself and Ayako? He’d already been struggling to become comfortable around her with just the knowledge that she looked similar to Rin, now that he knew she was Rin’s younger sister...

His thoughts trailed off and it only made his anger worse, clenching his jaw so tightly he heard it pop, not knowing how to process his emotions in a way that didn’t involve punching a hole through his wall like an angsty teenage boy. Deep down the reasonable part of him knew is wasn’t Ayako’s fault but right now he didn’t care what that side of him thought, he wanted her gone, out of his mind and house. He didn’t want to be near the living, breathing reminder of the girl he killed with his own hands. The girl he knew had trusted him completely, had supported him and shown him kindness even when he didn’t in return. The girl that he had later come to realise had loved him a little more than friends and teammates should. His heart felt heavy in his chest and he knew if he closed his  eyes he would see Rin’s face, her whispering his name as her chest pulsed around his hand. 

He groaned from the pain in his chest and ripped the mask down over his chin, drawing in a few ragged breaths as he fought off the vision of Rin’s blood all over his hands. What would Ayako say if she knew he was her only sisters murderer?

“Kakashi?” Ayako called his name from behind the closed door and knocked softly. “Kakashi are you in there?”

His head snapped towards the door and he quickly moved to turn the lock before she could open it, not wanting to speak to her or worse have her see him without his anger in check. The door handle moved and when she realised it was locked he heard a soft “Oh” before she turned to leave. 

“I thought I heard him.” He heard her say from the lounge, his shoulders relaxed just a tiny bit now that she wasn’t right outside his door.

“Don’t worry Ayako, he’ll be home later.”  Pakkun responded in his gruff voice. Kakashi knew would be able to tell he was here but his pack would have felt the emotions radiating off their pack leader and knew to cover for him.

“I just wanted to see him.” The concern in her voice made guilt settle in his chest amongst the bundle of other emotions he was currently battling. “Something didn’t feel right as he left this morning. He was happy but then seemed a little off.”

The conversation ended there as  Pakkun and the rest of his pack convinced her to head back out into the garden, which he assumed was to give him space. He sat against the door while the conversation with  Tsunade rolled around in his head until he wasn’t sure what he really felt anymore, but he did know what he need to do to have time to sort through his emotions. He needed to talk Tsunade into giving him a mission that left immediately. As the saying goes, out of sight out of mind right? He stood to his feet and rolled his eyes at himself, knowing it would take much more than not being around Ayako to remove her from his mind but it was a start and as he pulled his mask back over his nose he once again landed back in Tsunade’s office with a pop.

“Hatake.” She looked at him with narrowed eyes over the shoulder of a surprised  Genma . “Although you are certainly  _ not  _ above knocking and I suggest in the future you think carefully before  _ appearing  _ in my office unannounced, I will give you credit for good timing. Now sit, I was just about to send  Genma to get you.” He raised an eyebrow at her in question.

“I have a mission for you.” She added with her usual amount of sass. At least no one could pin her for going easy on him...

“Ah, just what I was coming to ask for.” Kakashi shot her a crinkle eyed smile and  Tsunade’s eyes narrowed further, he knew she was seeing right through him. 

“I don’t think this is the time for you to be throwing yourself into a mission Kakashi, however you’ve been personally requested so think yourself lucky.” Her eyes flicked to  Genma who was about to question what was going on.

“ Shiranui if you know what's good for you then you will keep that big mouth of yours shut.” The pair both stayed quiet as  Tsunade gave them the details on the mission, not wanting to interrupt when she was clearly not in the mood to not be taken seriously.

“You’ll leave first thing tomorrow and in Yamato’s place you’ll be taking Guy.” A groan slipped from  Genma before he could stop it which earned him another sharp look from the Hokage. Guy he could deal with but what Kakashi found himself agitated by was the thought of having to spend the night in the village.

“ What's the delay, let’s leave now?” He tried to sound casual but once again he was caught out.

“ _ Tomorrow  _ Hatake. Guy will meet you at the gates, he’s already across what is expected of him.  So take tonight to prepare and get your head on straight.”  Although she spoke to the pair of  them, he knew the last part was aimed specifically at him.

Both men stood and Kakashi followed  Genma out of the  Hokage’s office using the door this time, not wanting to push his luck and face the wrath of a mad Tsunade. Then again, he wouldn’t mind letting her punch him into the next village to take his mind off a few things.

“Kakashi are you listening to me?” He was pulled from his thoughts to see the mission scroll being waved in front of his face.

“And why would I do that?” Kakashi shot his friend the same fake crinkle eyed smile he’d used on the  Hokage .

“Do you want to go get a drink?”  Genma who for maybe the first time in his life looked like he didn’t know what to say shifted nervously. “Look I don’t know what’s really going on but I’m guessing it has at least a little to do with Ayako. Come have a drink, I promise not to be my usual self and not ask questions.” 

Kakashi studied him for a moment and decided he was being genuine, which he would add was a shocking thing to see from  Genma.

“Absolutely no questions?” He asked and his teammate nodded. Maybe it would be good for him to spend time with a friend instead of torturing himself with overthinking until it was time to leave for the mission.  Kakashi caved with a sigh and let himself be led to the closet bar.

***

Ayako was standing in front of the bathroom mirror towel drying her hair while the pack waited for her in the lounge room. She was thankful they were happy to laze around while she herself mop over the fact that Yamato hadn't returned from his mission and Kakashi had all but bolted from the house when she emerged from her room this morning. The 15 mins or so they had spent talking this morning had gone well, or so she had thought but maybe she had read him wrong? She pouted at her reflection, not even sure herself as to why it mattered to her so much that neither of them were home. 

She hung up her towel and with a groan of annoyance at herself, pulled open the bathroom door only to trip straight over a napping  Urushi who had stretched himself across the bathroom door and didn’t so much as flinch when she quickly apologised. The rest of the pack had all moved into different spots, with Bull stretched out across the front door,  Akino across the door to the garden and the rest spread out over the space of the room. She briefly wondered if they were trying to tell her they wanted to go outside but she dismissed that thought when she remembered that not only because they could open the door themselves but they could  _ literally _ ask her. She still wasn’t completely used to the fact that she had been chatting to them like old friends. As she made her was over to the  couch she saw that the sun has almost disappeared from the sky and she 

“Do you think Kakashi will be home soon?” Ayako asked then realised it was probably the umpteenth time for the day. “Sorry I know I keep asking.”

“No need to be sorry, plus good news he’s home.”  Pakkun said as the rest of the pack moved back to lay around her on the couch and at her feet. Suddenly the door swung open and Kakashi’s eyes  flicked to her right away.

“Kakashi!” She jumped from the couch to go to him but the look he threw her stopped her in her tracks. “Is something wrong?” He didn’t respond and after what felt like  forever he slammed the door, finally breaking his eyes contact with Ayako.

“Nothing that concerns  _ you _ .” He could hear the venom in his own voice but the alcohol had completely silenced the reasonable part of himself that had been reminding him none of this was Ayako’s fault and without it he was free to blame her for everything, guilt free. 

Unsure if she was being brave or  stupid, she stepped in front of him to block the path to his room and instantly realised the decision was without a doubt leaning more towards stupid. Closer to him now she realised the look of absolute hatred was undoubtedly aimed at her, even the pack had their ears pricked up sensing their leader was far from his usually calm self.

“Kakashi, if somethings bothering you then you know you can talk to me?” Ayako’s hands balled into fits at her sides to keep them from shaking, her voice cracking . “ I'm your friend too.” 

“ _ You  _ are no such thing.” As soon as he raised his  voice he immediately noticed that the pack had moved to put themselves between himself and Ayako and it wasn’t until he took a step towards her that the low warning growl from the pack confirmed it. For a moment he was shocked that his own pack would stand against him, he was a little hurt but part of him knew they still wouldn’t hurt him. Ayako however was completely oblivious to anything but Kakashi, her eyes  shining with tears at his harsh tone.

“Boss,”  Pakkun stepped forward and Kakashi backed away, his pack bringing him  somewhat back to his senses. Bull nudged Ayako out of the way gently, giving Kakashi room to escape to his room and within seconds he was closing the door on the group still standing in the hall. 

Ayako let a breath out she didn’t know she’d been holding and lent her weight against the wall. Her body felt heavy and tired all of a sudden. What had all that been about? She knew something had been up this morning but she didn’t think it was anything to do with her.

“I think I’m going to lay down for a while.” She pushed off the wall and headed slowly towards Yamato’s room without much thought, pressing the heel of her palms into her eyes to stop her from crying. “Wake me before Yamato comes home?” The little pug nodded in understanding.

From Yamato’s bed she could see the pack making themselves comfortable out in the lounge room each within sight of her and she smiled at the thought of them caring enough to want to keep watch over her. She snuggled down into the covers and breathed in Yamato’s earthy scent, just like the night he carried her home from the bar it made her feel a little safer and her chest feel a little less tight. It had only been a few days but already she felt as though her and Yamato had formed a friendship, it was  effortless with him, she  hadn't even had to try. 

Kakashi was a completely different story. In the short time since they’d  met he’d been nothing but hot and cold with her. At  first he’d all but ignored her, then she thought maybe he was giving her a chance, especially with how gentle he had been with her the night of the storm. Yet after this evening's display she was certain he had always despised her and just couldn’t keep up a friendly front, it was going to be really hard to come back from that with not a clue what had caused it to start with.

She wasn’t sure when she had dozed off but the feel of  Pakkun pawing at her told her she had at least been a sleep for a few hours. Sitting up she stretched out her legs before getting up to make the bed the same way Yamato had left it so she didn’t give herself away.

“ C'mon ” She jerked her head sleepily and the group followed her into her own room, some taking their place on the end of her bed while the bigger of the dogs laid beside on the floor. “You have to leave room for me.” She said groggily and tucked herself in alongside Bisuke and  Pakkun , then drifted back to sleep just as the front door was being clicked closed softly. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! Ayako's identity is revealed!
> 
> Bit of a longer update this time to make up for the possibility of a longer gap before the next upload.  
> I'll do my best to get it out within the fortnight but there's a lot going on at the moment which I'm sure you're all feeling the same at the moment.
> 
> Anyways, as usual please leave kudos and/or comment letting me know how you're enjoying it so far, favourite parts etc.  
> I LOVE hearing all feedback and it's super motivating knowing I have readers looking forward to the next upload!


	7. Seven.

Ayako had woken early to the feeling of being crushed under the weight of eight sleeping dogs. At some stage after falling asleep those who had stared out on the floor must have decide that the bed would be much comfier and decided to join herself,  Pakkun and  Bisuke without an invite. She had managed to wiggle herself backwards, freeing her legs and leaning her back against the headboard to watch the snoring pack and wait to hear for some sign that Yamato had woken as well. After last night's encounter with Kakashi she had since decided that the best course of action was to stay well away from him and maybe once he saw that she was respecting his personal space he wouldn’t be so hostile towards her. Although deep down she knew that was a rather large maybe...

Her inner discussion with herself was put on pause when she noticed that a few of the pack had lifted their heads to the door and a second later a soft knock sounded. Could it be Kakashi? The knock wasn’t aggressive, maybe he wanted to apologise? 

“Don’t worry, It’s just Yamato.”  Pakkun spoke without even looking at her and she mentally kicked  herself for being so easy to read, yet at the same time she felt so grateful that  Pakkun and the rest of the pack understood her so well.

“Come in” She called  softly after he knocked a  second time.

Yamato opened the door slowly poking his head around the door as if to make sure it was really alright for him to come into her space. Ayako smiled in an attempt to reassure him and he gave her a kind smile in return, her stomach flipped a little and she realised that she had honestly missed him even if he had only been gone for one night.

“I thought you were awake. Why don’t you come out and I’ll make you some breakfast?” He said as he eyed the small mountain of ninken surrounding her with a raised eyebrow.

“ Mornin Yamato”  Pakkun said gruffly and the others huffed their greetings.

“Morning all, you guys want breakfast as well?” Before Yamato had even finish  speaking he was moving away from the doorway, dodging the pack as they raced to the kitchen.

Ayako was left sitting momentarily stunned by the  stampede before she realised what Yamato making breakfast meant and had to suppress a shudder before she gave  herself away .

“I'll make you a deal,” She watched as Yamato’s shot her a questioning look. “If you cook then I’ll set the table and make the coffee. Sound good?” He didn’t respond straight away and Ayako wondered if she really had been caught out.

“Okay deal. Let’s see if you make coffee as good as me.” Yamato said and turned to head back into the kitchen, thankfully missing the look of disbelieve she couldn’t stop from showing on her face. Was he serious? She stood and followed him out into the kitchen, not even glancing towards Kakashi’s bedroom, Yamato having distracted her from even thinking about him. 

***

The pair had made breakfast like it was something they had done together a hundred times before, all the while chatting easily between themselves which came as a huge relief for both of them. Yamato had even surprised her by asking if she would like to come to the training grounds with him later on to which she agreed to on the one condition that he was willing to let her borrow a shirt, Ino’s clothing once again not really acceptable attire for a training ground and the thought of what attention it would earn her from Genma made her face hot with embarrassment. 

Within half an hour of leaving her bed, Yamato and Ayako were sat at the table laughing as the pack  barrelled out the door and into the garden after all but vacuuming up their food, much like their leader. She couldn’t wipe the smile off her face as she took in the sight around her, this was how mornings were supposed to be, spent with people (and dogs) that make you feel all relaxed and warm on the inside and smiley on the outside. Ayako silently wished that from now on they would always be this way. 

“You know,” Yamato took a sip from his mug before continuing. “This coffee is amazing.”

The shock on Ayako’s face was obvious enough that Yamato let out a genuine laugh, it made her stomach do little flips for the second time that morning.

“I know my coffee making skills are well below average, I'm surprised you even drank it.” He  continued on eating as Ayako took in what he said.

“You mean to tell me,” She put down her own mug and pointed at him. “You  _ knew  _ it was basically undrinkable yet still let us drink it? Kakashi said the last time he brought it up you pouted about it and made him feel bad!” 

He let out another laugh and she shook her head. “That was before I  realised he was right, by then I figured it was more fun to let him suffer.” 

Yamato pushed his empty plate to the side and lent forward to place his forearms on the table, looking out the window towards the garden with a slight look of concern on his face as the pack raced around narrowly avoiding his flowers. As he gazed out the window Ayako ate her food slowly, chewing thoughtfully as she  studied Yamato. She couldn’t believe that not too long ago she had thought he was  nothing but a brute but oh how her opinions were changing.  Although he was undoubtedly handsome, Ayako most enjoyed how easily he was able to make her feel relaxed even after everything that had happened to her both back at her own village and since arriving at the Hidden Leaf. 

Food temporarily forgotten, she reached out and placed her hand on his forearm, giving it a gentle squeeze to gain his attention. As she looked back up to his  face she saw that his soft brown eyes were watching her, waiting for her to speak.

“Yamato, I’m really happy you were able to finish the mission so quickly,” Her voice wasn’t quite as confidant as she had hoped and she could feel the blush creeping slowly across her cheeks. “It doesn't feel right when you aren't around.”

He smiled and opened his mouth to respond before being cut off by the not so gentle closing of Kakashi’s bedroom door, as if he sensed Ayako was enjoying herself too much and needed to put a stop to it at once. Ayako ripped her hand back to her side of the table and busied herself with finishing her breakfast as the shinobi walked out into the kitchen dressed in his gear and a small pack slung over his shoulder.

“I’m leaving first thing this morning for a missio n,” He said  deadpan and to no one in particular. “could be a few days, could be more. ” 

Ya mato looked towards the clock as Kakashi spoke, "Then  shouldn't you have left by now senpai?"

“You know how it is. Anyway, s ee you when I'm back.” With that Kakashi headed for the door without so much as a glance towards Ayako.

Ayako stared down at her food and pushed it around the plate, her appetite had vanished along with the light hearted atmosphere. Kakashi didn’t have to say it, she knew he was leaving on a mission because of her and even though she half expected it, it still hurt just the same. 

“Boss can I talk to you for a minute?”  Pakkun appeared from the garden and Kakashi gave a quick nod of approval before disappearing out the door. The pug shot Yamato a look before following his pack leader.

“Ayako,” Yamato’s voice was soft. “Did something happen while I was away?” She sniffed and looked up at him, blinking away the tears that were threatening to spill over. 

“I don’t know.” She paused and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. Trying to put what had happened into words without getting upset was surprisingly difficult.  Gosh why was she so weak these days?

“Ayako it’s  alright to tell me the truth.” 

“I am telling the truth. I have no idea what happened, one minute we were sitting here talking and I thought he was warming up to me and then by the afternoon when he came home, he was so  so mad.” She squeezed her eyes closed and shook her head at the memory of the look of pure hate on Kakashi’s face. “ Pakkun told me he went to talk to Tsunade, I guess she had bad news for him or something.”  She looked up at Yamato but his face remained blank, back to giving nothing away.

Yamato sat back in his chair and rubbed a hand over his chin, he knew exactly what  Tsunade had said that would have set him off but that wasn’t a discussion for him to have with her, that was something that needed to happen between Ayako and Kakashi. “What happened once he came home?”

“I tried to ask if he was alright, tell him that if he needed a friend then I'm here,” Her head dropped to look at the table and she suddenly wanting nothing more than a moment alone. “He told me I’m no such thing.” 

Yamato knew there was obviously a little more to it than just words by how upset Ayako was but as  Pakkun made his way back into the house and Ayako excused herself to use the bathroom he decided it was best to hear the details from Pakkun.

“ Pakkun , what happened?” He asked as the pug jumped onto the chair next to him.

“We were right, the pups a  Nohara . Rin’s half-sister actually. Kakashi didn’t take it well, when he came  home he took it out on Ayako.”  Pakkun shook his head. “I’ve never seen him act like that Tenzo, especially not with a female.” 

Yamato was shocked. It was so unlike his senpai to lose his cool to that degree, he just wasn’t that person who let himself be ruled by his emotions anymore. 

“I don’t think he would ever hurt her physically but he hurt her more than enough with his words. The look on her face...” He trailed off and looked towards where Ayako had shut herself in the bathroom. “He realises though.”

Yamato raised an eyebrow in question.

“Before he  left he gave the pack orders not to leave her side while he’s gone.” 

“Well that’s something. Did he tell you exactly what  Tsunade said?” Pakkun nodded. “Alright then let’s go back to the beginning, start with the conversation between him and  Tsunade .” If Yamato was going to fix this then he was going to need all the information and help he could get from Kakashi’s pack.

***

By the time Ayako decided to emerge from her hiding spot in the bathroom she had a handle on her emotions and of course, a washed face and brushed teeth. Couldn’t let them know she was taking up the bathroom just to  cry, now could she? As she  walked across the hall to her room she looked out into the kitchen and noticed that Yamato had cleaned up from breakfast and was now elsewhere, probably in the garden making sure the pack didn’t do too much damage to his flowers. 

“You alright Ayako?”  Bisuke said from her bed and Ayako was surprised to see everyone had made themselves comfy in her room to wait for her. It almost made her smile, almost.

“ I'm alright, thanks guys” Her eyes scanned the  room twice before she noticed one missing. “Where’s  Pakkun ? Did he leave with Kakashi on the mission?” She really hoped not. 

“He’s talking with Yamato in the garden.”  Guruko replied from down at her feet, first in line and Ayako  knelt  in front of him to give him some attention before moving onto the next one.

“ It's about me  isn't it?” She sighed.  “I’m not stupid guys, I know that how Kakashi acted last night was somehow because of me.” None of the pack responded and she decided not to press them on it. “ It's alright, I know  he's your leader and I  won't ask for you to betray his trust like that.”

“Thanks Pup.” Ayako turned to see  Pakkun returning from the garden. “Yamato is just about ready to head to the training grounds. You still feel like going?” He pushed past the others to get his share of attention.

“Yes but, ah, could I have just a few moments to get changed? You know, like alone?” She looked around at the pack not wanting to point out that even though they were dogs she wasn’t really comfortable changing in front of them.

“L et's go boys.”  Pakkun understood completely and jerked his head towards the door and the pack headed out to wait in the loungeroom.

“Oh,  could you let  Yamato know not to leave without me?  Also, can he bring me a shirt? ” Ayako called after the pug as he she bumped the door just about closed behind him.

She brushed through her hair before quickly stripping out of her pyjamas and wiggling into the black pants from Ino, then as she was  attempting to clip her  bra she heard someone at the door.

“Ayako? I’ve got a shirt for you to wear, where do you want me to leave it?” Yamato’s voice called from the  opposite side of the door but before she could respond to just pass it through the small opening Bull pushed his way past Yamato’s legs, nudging the door wide open. 

Ayako spun towards the sound of the door  opening and saw Yamato standing there, t-shirt in hand and his eyes widened in shock.

“Yamato!” She yelled as her arms flew up to cover her chest once she  realised he was getting a full view of her standing in nothing but a pair of jeans and a lace white bra.

His mouth opened and closed a few times, much like a goldfish, before he gave up on words and pointed towards Bull who was now curled up on Ayako’s bed dozing off innocently.

“ B..Bull opened it!” He finally managed to get out and as  Ayako walked over and snatched the t-shirt with one hand while keeping the other across her chest, his eyes stayed locked with hers out of fear that she’d actually do some damage if they wandered lower. Not that he was that kind of guy of course, a lthough he couldn’t deny that it was  _ just a little  _ tempting.

“Thanks.” She said as she stepped backwards, pausing for a second to take in the pink blush that had appeared across Yamato’s cheeks and the way he fought to keep his eyes focused on her face before stretching out one leg to gracefully kick the door closed on the man who seemed to be frozen in place.

“Bull are you serious?” She hissed as she rounded on the huge dog with a scowl. “What if he had seen more?” He  only huffed in return as she shoved the t-shirt on and looked at her reflection in the mirror, her cheeks were just as pink as Yamato’s had been and she fanned herself trying to make it fade before she went out to face him. Slowly a grin spread across her face  at realisation that  _ she  _ had made a big, strong shinobi  _ blush. _ Did he think she was attractive?

“I mean it wasn’t a bad way to get him interested right?” She turned back to look at Bull who was now giving her a look as if to say  _ and  _ _ you're _ _ welcome.  _ “Wait, you didn’t actually do that on purpose did you?” K nowing he wouldn’t answer, she watched as he stepped off the bed and opened to door to leave. 

“Oblivious to the situation or a totally planned move, we'll never know...” She mumbled to herself as she followed him out to find the others waiting at the front of the house.

“Ready to go?” She said and didn’t miss the way Yamato avoided looking at her, the blush returning to his cheeks. Oh yeah, she’d  definitely caught his attention.

His words caught on the way out and he cleared his throat before trying again. “Sure, lead the way.” 

Ayako was about to say she didn’t exactly know the direction they were heading but when the pack  started moving. S he figured they knew exactly how to get the  training grounds and put a hand on Bull’s back to let him guide her down the path from the house and to the right, away from what she knew was the main street of the village. 

As they  walked, she noticed that some of the people they passed would look at her before quickly looking away. She couldn’t work out why they wouldn’t even return her smile. Could they so easily tell that she wasn’t originally from here? Or maybe it was something else, maybe it was how she walked along with a pack of  ninken that clearly  weren't her own.  She glanced back over her  shoulder at Yamato who smiled at her, was he not noticing the odd  behaviours of the villagers they passed?

***

He did notice and each time she turned back to look at him he made sure to give nothing away, not wanting Ayako catching on any more than she already had. She was smarter than they  gave her credit for.

Yamato knew Kakashi had given them orders but this was different. The way they moved around her was noticeably protective and they weren't even trying to hide the fact that they were doing it. With Bull at her side then  Bisuke , Shiba,  Urushi ,  Akino ,  Uhei and  Guruko spread in a half circle close behind, any shinobi that saw the group would have picked up on the message easily, s he was off limits. Hell, even the civilians were wary of her.

“She’s grown on them.”  Pakkun said from his spot next to Yamato and at the very back of the group as they continued heading to the training ground.

“Just them?” Yamato questioned without looking away from Ayako. She already seemed happier just being out of the house.

“Okay fine, she’s grown on  _ us _ .”  Pakkun rolled his  eyes at being caught out. “Ayako’s special to Kakashi, even if he  won't admit it, which means she’s special to us as well.” 

Yamato hummed a response.

“She’s special to you as well, don’t think we missed that.” 

“You lot don’t miss much.” He looked down at the pug knowing it was useless to try and deny it.  Pakkun wasn’t wrong, Ayako was special and the short time they’d known each other had been more than enough time for Yamato to become aware of that. She had been through and lost just as much, if not more, as some of their shinobi friends but being a civilian meant she had gone without ever being trained to deal with it. Yet she still managed to pull herself together and put a smile on her face which left Yamato feeling both impressed and saddened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Firstly, I'm really sorry it took so long for this chapter to come out!   
> Things have been a bit wild at the moment between moving apartments and going back to work after weeks of being confined to our apartment during lockdown due to covid. It's surprising how difficult it is to go back to a normal routine after lockdown, especially for someone like myself who is a huge homebody and a little anxious at the best of times.  
> Hopefully all of you are safe and doing alright wherever you are in the world. 
> 
> Secondly, This chapter has actually been cut short so the next update will be posted either tomorrow or the next day so you wont have to wait nearly as long this time! "Winning!" Is what I'm imagining you all shout as you read this :P
> 
> Also, I've made a tumblr! I'm still not great at using it but I've started posting there when I update and naturally the content is almost all related to Naruto. So if you feel like it, find me by searching Heysitswrenn, feel free to follow, message etc. :)


	8. Eight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for any spelling or grammatical errors.  
> It's all edited by me and sometimes after reading something so many times the mistakes blend in!
> 
> Anyway, happy reading!

“Hey Ayako!” Naturally  Genma spotted her before anyone else and as he jogged over to greet her, Yamato saw how he took a second to acknowledge the pack before he came too close, confirming his suspicions from earlier. Then each of the  ninken took a moment to claim a scratch behind the ears from Ayako before taking off in pairs to search the grounds and take note of all the scents.

“Come to train with us?” He gave Ayako a lopsided smile which she was sure had all the girls drooling over him. It was too bad she was well aware how men like him worked after having them as patrons back at Tomoko’s bar.

“Not a chance. I came for the fresh air and to watch Yamato kick your arse.” She smiled back at him as sweetly as she could before hurrying off to say hello to the rest of the group, her head cast down as she fought back the flush of  embarrassment at blurting out tough talk in front of two shinobi.

The grin on  Genma’s face only grew as he watched her and the pack walking away, turning back to see Yamato watching him with a  disapproving look, arms crossed over his broad chest.

“ Oof Yamato give me a break, you know the  feisty ones just get me.  Plus didn’t you hear? She’s keen to watch you be all strong and manly.”  Genma made a show of flexing his muscles as Yamato ignored him and made his way over towards the others.

“Want me to tell them to go easy on you to make you look good?” He chuckled to himself as he jerked his head in the direction of the others, not  surprised when his question went ignored.

“Kakashi didn’t come back with you and Gai?” Yamato asked and saw how  Genma became unusually serious. 

“As soon as we made it  back he told us he would hand in the mission report, next thing we knew he’d taken off alone on an A-rank mission.” He flicked the  senbon from one side of his mouth to the other, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked towards where Ayako stood with their friends. “He’s using missions as a way to avoid dealing with what Lady Tsunade told him.” 

“Not a word to Ayako alright?” Yamato said lowly as they came to stand at the back of the group. “She’s already catching on and it  isn't something she needs to hear from us.”  Genma nodded his agreement, ending the conversation before anyone overheard.

“Ayako, it’s so good to see you again.” Kurenai pulled her in for a hug before stepping back to put her arm around a shinobi she hadn't met before. “This is Asuma, he was away on a mission the night we all got together.” 

“Nice to finally meet you, hope the pair you're living with aren't giving you too much trouble?” He said jokingly and held out his hand for Ayako to take, giving it a gentle squeeze as they heard something of a snort crossed with a laugh from the others behind him. Anko appeared draping her arm across Ayako’s shoulders, she knew the group could tell how uncomfortable she felt by the looks they were currently shooting at their brash friend.

“Trouble? What woman wouldn’t give their left arm to move in with those pair.  Hell, I've tried many times.” Anko wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, laughing at her own comment. 

_ Would it be rude to start screaming for help? _ Ayako was debating with herself as Anko’s gripped tightened considerably, squeezing the breath out of the much smaller female. 

“Are we going to stand around listening to what goes on in Anko’s filth ridden mind or actually train?” Not that I mind either way.”  Genma announced, still chewing at the  senbon that Ayako vaguely remembered him also having the night at the bar. She made a mental note to use it as a conversation starter with him at a later date.

“You  wanna see filth pretty boy?” Anko’s arm dropped away from Ayako’s shoulders as she moved into a crouched position, the smile on her face growing into something scarily predatorial. 

Genma made a motion with both hands for her to bring it on before taking off into the trees. Anko followed after him with a growl, knocking Ayako backwards into Yamato who had already moved behind her before she even knew what was happening, his hand on her waist to steady her. She smiled up at him when he didn’t move his hand straight away, for a moment forgetting they weren't alone until Asuma cleared his throat to get the pairs attention.

“Yamato, you up to spar? Gai is off doing one of is challenges and I'm not sure how close he is to finishing.” The four followed  Asuma’s gaze to see a body ascending the side of the cliff that towered over the training grounds.

“Gosh is he going to be alright? What if he falls?” Ayako couldn’t help but worry even if he was a trained shinobi.

“ Don't worry he’s surprisingly  resilient , filled with youth something or rather. Will you be right here?” Yamato put a hand on Ayako’s shoulder but she could only  nod , finding it hard to tear her eyes off the green and orange  speck that she was sure just almost lost their grip.

“ Kurenai is sitting out this round, she’ll stay with Ayako. Ready?”  Asuma shared a look with  Kurenai before moving out into the middle of the  grounds.  Yamato followed after only a moment, seemingly  hesitant to leave Ayako now that the pack wasn’t by her side, something which slipped Ayako’s notice but certainly not  Asuma and  Kurenai’s .

Ayako’s attention snapped from the cliff face to the sound of Anko cheer loudly, no doubt having landed a hit on  Genma . She  subconsciously took a step away from the two fighting and  Kurenai gently linked their arms as she  led Ayako to a spot a little further away from the fighting zone. 

“Anko  and  Genma speak without thinking most of the time  but they’re loyal to a fault.”

“And Gai?” Ayako asked as  they took a seat in the grass stretching out  their legs to soak up the sun.

“Gai is the most optimistic person you’ll ever meet.”

“And you and  Asuma ..?” She trailed off not finishing her question and  Kurenai laughed.

“Yes,  Asuma and I are together. H e’s actually kind and gentle, I care about him very much.” Both watched as  Asuma landed a hit on Yamato which made Ayako flinch, however he brushed it off as though it was nothing. 

“You’re all so lucky to have each other.” Ayako gave a small smile as she looked back at  Kurenai .

“What do you mean? You’re one of us now.” The older woman  nudged Ayako’s shoulder with her own.

“Things aren't great at home. I think, I think maybe I'm causing a few problems for Kakashi.” Ayako couldn’t stop herself, talking to  Kurenai felt like talking to her one of her sisters. “I know I'm the reason he's struggling at the moment but I'm not sure if I should talk to him about it after how mad I made him the other night just by being there.”

Kurenai didn’t try to hide her frown at hearing the last part. “Have you spoken to the Hokage?”

“I don’t want to be a bother. She’s done so much for me by taking me into the village after losing mine.” 

“Yamato mentioned you lived with a friend of  Tsunade’s and a group of girls she adopted? I bet you really miss them.” Kurenai said as she put a hand on her shoulder. Ayako felt her chest  tighten and took a deep breath to control her emotions.

“I do. There was six of us girls that Tomoko took in as her own. You actually remind me a little of Shiko, she was kind and easy to talk to just like you.” Ayako lent her head on Kurenai’s shoulder who in turn rested her own head  atop Ayako’s. 

“ I'm glad you feel that way around me.” Sensing that Ayako had opened up as much as she was willing to about her past for now, the older woman was happy to sit in comfortable silence and watch as the others continued their sparing sessions. Every so often Yamato would look back towards Ayako for a moment before his attention was back on  Asuma and after roughly the  fifth glance back  Kurenai broke the silence. “You know, I’d say Yamato cares for  _ you  _ very much.”

Ayako’s cheeks flushed pink. “I think he just feels like he needs to look after me because I’m a friend of  Tsunade , he  knows that if something was to  happen, she’d probably punch him into the next village.” Both females laughed at the mental image Ayako created.

“You’re half right, if something happened to  you, I’m certain heads would roll. But I’ve known Yamato for a while and I’m yet to see him really relax around someone that  isn't within our friend circle.”  Kurenai said and smiled down at Ayako who was now looking at her housemate with wide eyes. 

“Same goes with Kakashi, I know the pair seem like they’re holding back but from what we’ve seen you’re starting to mean something to them both.” Yamato glanced back again and this time Ayako smiled and gave him a small wave, he stiffened and turned away at being caught. The pair laughed at his awkwardness.

“I really hope  you're right.” She  watched as Yamato and  Asuma made their way over to where herself and  Kurenai still sat in the grass, t he sun had all but disappeared now. As both men helped them to their feet,  Asuma pulled  Kurenai in for a quick kiss on the cheek before they turned back to Ayako.

“ Sorry if today was a little boring, h opefully next time we meet up it will be for something you can join in with as well.”  Kurenai said and  Asuma nodded in agreement as he placed a cigarette between his lips to light.

“Not at all, it was nice to spend time with you and I really enjoyed watching everyone spar.” Ayako lied, knowing full well her  eyes hadn't left Yamato the whole time. She smiled guiltily at the couple  in front of her before looking around for the other three.

“Gai is probably off challenging Lee and  Genma and Anko left a while ago.’ Yamato spoke up, noticing who Ayako was looking for. Kurenai and Asuma said their goodbyes and headed back towards the village leaving Ayako and Yamato alone, not even the pack had shown up yet.

“Next time I’ll make you a chair.” Yamato grinned and she suspected he was still on a high from his spar.

“With  your wood style?” Ayako looked curiously at his hands but nothing seemed out of place.

“ Yes, but I’ll show you next time,”  Ayako gave him a small pout. “For now, what’s say we pick up some take away for dinner? I don’t really feel like cooking.” He chuckled as Ayako’s pout changed to a grin at the mention of food. 

“Yes please, I’m  starving!” She grabbed onto his arm and started all but dragging him towards the village,  Bull and  Pakkun suddenly appearing back at Ayako’s side as the rest of the pack fell back into step  behind them. “Oh, there you all are, you guys ready for dinner?”

***

“Do you mind if I have a quick shower while you set out plates?” Yamato was already half way towards the bathroom when he turned back to ask.

“Of course not, I’ll set the table.” She replied,  reaching up on her tip toes to grab the plates as Yamato thanked her and quickly headed off to shower.

The pack had finished eating their share when she heard the shower shut off and Ayako watched as they all headed into her room no doubt to debate amongst themselves who was sleeping on the bed tonight. She smiled to herself as she began setting the table, thankful that she was able to have some alone time with Yamato and not have the pack watching their every move, although she knew that they would still be able to hear everything even from her bedroom. 

Just as  she finished placing the take out containers in the middle of the table  Yamato appeared from the bathroom wearing a t-shirt and trackpants that hung low on his hips, together with his still damp hair Ayako could barely stop herself from  staring . 

“Everything alright?” Yamato asked as made his way over to the table.

“Absolutely!” She replied a little too cheerily and mentally kicked herself for being weird. But if he did notice he said nothing as he walked over and pulled out Ayako’s chair, motioning for her to sit before pushing her closer to the table.

Her face flushed pink at the gesture and she busied herself with dishing food onto her plate as he moved to sit in the chair next to hers rather than across from her like usual. “Thank you for taking me with you today.” 

“You don’t have to thank me, I’m just glad to see you happy.” She looked up at him then and noticed his face was flushed the same colour it had been this morning. Who gave him the right to look so damn cute? “I saw how relaxed you were with  Kurenai . I'm sorry it's not the same with  Genma and Anko.”

“I really enjoyed spending time with Kurenai. She’s so welcoming but Genma and Anko are as well, just in their own way.” She remembered the death grip Anko had on her and laughed. “Although I was certain Anko was trying to crush me at one point.” 

“You should have seen the look on your face, I was certain you were going to scream.” Yamato chuckled as he emptied the last of one takeaway container onto his plate.

“I was getting ready too!” Ayako raising her voice only made the pair laugh harder. She watched as Yamato’s whole face lit up with his smile, loving that he was becoming a little more relaxed around her each day. She remembered what  Kurenai had said about him only relaxing around those closest to him and dropped her head to look at her plate as she grinned like a school girl.

“Do you think maybe we can meet up with them again tomorrow? Or maybe if they’re busy the two of us could do something?” Ayako said around a mouthful of food and Yamato’s smile faltered slightly.

“I'm sorry Ayako, while we were  training I received a mission. I leave tomorrow.” He watched as  she fought to keep the disappointment from showing on her face. “But if you aren't alright being alone for a night then I can maybe talk to  Tsunade ?” 

“Absolutely not, you can’t not go on a mission just because of me. I'll be fine.” She shovelled another mouthful of food in so she couldn’t tell him that what she really wanted was for him to stay with her.

“It’s still early, maybe after dinner we can sit out in the garden?” He asked without looking up at her. “ It’s a warm night we wouldn’t even need the fire.”

“I’d really like that.” She said softly as he finally looked at her, a smile pulling at his lips before the pair finished their food and cleaned up in record timing and they made their way out to the small gazebo.

Dropping down into the soft cushions of the largest wooden chair, the pair were pressed against each other, sitting in silence for a long moment before either of them spoke.

“I love this spot.” She sighed out, breaking the  silence . 

“Hmm it’s a shame we don’t use it more.” Yamato said as he looked around the gazebo. “I think before summer is  over, we should have dinner out here. Kakashi and I could hang some lights and I could easily make a table.” 

Ayako  curled her legs under herself and, feeling brave, reached for Yamato’s hand taking it to hold in both her much smaller ones. After a few moments and when she knew that he wasn’t going to pull  away, she relaxed into his side a little more, noticing how his eyes  hadn't moved from where she held his hand between hers. 

“You can really just create things using your hands?” She felt his fingers twitch slightly as she ran her thumb across his palm.

“Well I mean,” He paused to clear the nervousness from his voice. “There's a little more to it  than that but basically yes.”

“You’re amazing. I mean your hands; your hands are amazing.” S he let their hands drop to her lap, her eyes darted to his face when Yamato let out small  choking noise, realising what she’d said . “I mean it’s amazing you can do that with just your hands!” She could hear the slight panic in her voice and was it too much to ask for the ground to open up and just swallow her whole?

“I think maybe it time to call it a night,” His face glowed red and he gently pulled his hand back from where Ayako held it. “I leave early, what with the mission and all.” He stood and rubbed at the back of his head nervously.

“Oh yeah, sure, of course.” The words stumbled out as she stood as well. “See you when  you're back Yamato.” She turned her back to him as she made her across the  garder towards the house first.

“Ayako” He called her name and she looked over her shoulder at him, he looked at her looking like there was something he really wanted to say but just couldn’t spit it out. Her heart squeezing painfully at the thought that maybe he wasn’t as comfortable  around her as she’d told herself.

“Stay safe please.” Her voice cracked and she knew he would have easily picked up on but she kept walking, making her way into the house leaving him standing there alone and confused.

She shut her bedroom door and rested her back against it, noticing that all but one of the  pack was asleep.

“Not a word  Pakkun .” She whispered, not trusting her voice at the moment.

“I don’t know what  you're talking about Pup, I heard nothing.” He moved to make room for Ayako and she tucked herself under the blanket before he pressed himself against her back. 

“Thank you.” She whispered again before flicking off the lamp, plunging the room into  darkness.

***

Ayako had spent the morning moping out in the garden as the pack raced around after waking to find out Yamato had left without waking her to say goodbye which left her in a mood.

“Pakkun.” The small pug raised his head from his spot on the chair across from Ayako. “Do you know when Kakashi will be home?” 

“Pup, I know as much as you do.” Ayako saw his  point, the pack had been by her side since Kakashi left for his mission a few days ago. “Stop worrying, he’ll be home soon and I’m sure if there was something  wrong, he would summon us.” 

“You’re right.” She sighed as she stood and made her way into the house in search of something to cure her  boredom . After walking into Yamato’s room to check, for the third time, that he  hadn't returned early from his mission, she made her way to her  own room and paused at the door before looking down the hall towards Kakashi’s.

“Damn grumpy ass shinobi” She mumbled to herself as she looked around to make sure the pack were still outside before making her way down the hall and slowly opening Kakashi’s bedroom door, half expecting him to suddenly appear and yell at her for even thinking to step foot in there. 

She’d taken no more than three steps into the room when  Pakkun’s voice almost sent her into cardiac arrest, “Could you move any slower?” She let slip the most girlish squeal she’s sure she's ever made then turned and glared down at him.

“I’m being careful.” She said as she crossed her arms over her chest defensively.

“I just wanted to see his books, I want to read the ones he’s always carrying around. Do you think he’ll be mad?” Ayako asked Pakkun who was sat patiently in the doorway.

“I think he’d be the opposite, even if he doesn’t say it.” Before Ayako could ask  what he meant,  Pakkun had turned his attention down the hall. “You have company.”

“What do you mean?” As soon as she spoke a knock sounded at the front door and  Pakkun shot her a smug look. “Yes, yes you’ve got a nose unlike anyone else I know.” She made her way past the pug and to the front door as whoever had been knocking let  themselves in.

“Pig you  can't just let yourself into  someone's house!” Sakura growled as Ino made her way into the loungeroom.

“It’s not  _ someone’s  _ house Forehead it’s Ayako’s.”  Ino spotted her standing near the hall and with a  squeal made her way over. “And there she is! Ayako, get the glasses ready cause these babies  aren't going to drink themselves.” It was then that Ayako noticed the blonde was carrying two bottles of wine while Sakura followed behind juggling two in each hand. 

“That’s a lot of wine.” She said and the pair  nodded as she made her way into the kitchen in search of glasses.

“A lot of wine for a lot of girl talk.” Sakura said when Ayako returned with three large wine glasses and passed them to the pink  haired female.

“And that’s my que to leave.”  Pukkun mumbled as he left the three giggling amongst themselves as they began pouring the wine and making themselves comfortable around the coffee table.

An hour or so later and they were a bottle and a half in when he returned again, finding Ayako laughing as Sakura and Ino argued over who knows what. “Ladies,”  Pakkun called for their attention as he walked over to the spot beside Ayako. She’d almost forgotten about the pack. “We’ve been summoned but” 

“Is Kakashi alright?” She cut him off before he could finish talking, instantly on edge at the  pug's words.

“He’s fine, just needs a little help tracking is all.” He watched as she relaxed slightly. “ Bull is going to stay behind with you.”

“ No, he should go too, the more noses the better right? I’ll be alright for a few hours.” She smiled, trying to convince him that she meant it. “ Plus Ino and Sakura will be here for a while yet, right girls?” The pair nodded in unison and  Pakkun sighed.

“Fine,” He rubbed a paw over his nose. “Boss  won't be pleased that  you're alone so no leaving the house until we’re back, alright?”

“We’ll look after her  Pakkun , you tell Kakashi not  to worry.” Ino said as she leant over and topped up Ayako’s glass earning her sigh and  concerned  look from the pug before he quickly left out the back door, rounding up the rest of the pack to leave.

“Good, now that  they're gone, we can get into the juicy stuff.” Ino’s blue eyes flashed  mischievously as she turned her attention to Sakura. “Spill it, Who’s the boy you had in your apartment last night?”

Before long they were without a doubt more drunk than they had planned and with where their conversations were heading Ayako was thankful that the pack had been summoned, this way none of them could accidently blab.

“You mean he walked in on you naked?” Ino slurred, eyeing her over her wine glass.

“Not naked, naked. I was wearing a bra and jeans.” Ayako said while she watched Sakura who had overfilled her glass and was now attempting to take a big sip so that she could safely lift it from the coffee table.

“You know that’s even more tempting, right Ino?” Sakura said and Ino snorted in agreement.

Ayako looked between the pair and rolled her eyes. “How so?” 

“Duh because now he’s had a sneak  peek and  he’ll want to see the rest! It’s like a present,”  Sakura giggled at Ino’s comparison. “U ndoing the ribbon just  piques your curiosity, makes you even more tempted to find out  what's in the box. Would you pull the ribbon and then just walk away without looking at the rest  Ayako ?”

She shrugged,  “Well no, I’ve come this far?”

“Exactly! He’s probably thinking the same thing.” Ino said as a matter-of-factly, ignoring how she had spilt wine down the front of herself in her excitement.

Sakura scoffed, “This is  _ Captain Yamato, _ were speaking of. I’ve never once seen him show interest in any female.”

“Do you think him and  Kakashi..? ” Ino smirked, raising a perfectly shaped eyebrow.

“No pig I’m not saying that.” Sakura said deadpan, trying to be a serious as she could in her drunken state.

“Too bad, I’d be into it.”

“I expect no less.”

Ayako couldn’t help but laugh at the bickering pair. “Look ether way,  he's definitely attractive.” As she took another sip of her  wine she felt brave enough to admit she might be just a little interested in her roommate.

“She likes him! I win!” Sakura jabbed her friend in the shoulder a little harder than necessary and Ino was about ready to throw punches until Ayako leant forward to pat her shoulder, shaking her head for the blonde not to start anything.

“Ino bet it would be Kakashi you fell for, what with his whole...” Sakura covered half he face with one hand mimicking Kakashi’s mask and then motioned to her upper body with the other.

“His whole strong, sexy, mysterious look?” Ino offered.

“Right, not the words I would have personally chosen but thank you.” Sakura tapped her drink against Ino’s in a one-sided cheers, “Anyway I bet it would be Yamato because you look way to similar to Kakashi sensei’s team mate that passed away.” She waved her hand as though what she had just brought up wasn’t important.

“Wait what?” Ayako jolted up  straighter and looked at the pair, feeling a tad more sober than she had moments ago.

“Yeah like forehead said, you’re  kinda similar to his old team mate but it happened when they were both still kids so I wouldn’t worry about it too much.” Ino tipped her head back and finished off her glass.

“You’re right, he hasn’t said anything so he probably hasn’t even noticed.” Ayako shrugged and took another mouthful of wine, suddenly wishing she’d drank more before having this conversation.

“Yeah sure...” Sakura said, sharing a look with Ino which didn’t help in convincing Ayako they believed her. “Anyway, who’s up to taking some trashy magazine quizzes?” Ayako agreed  half-heartedly suddenly wanting nothing more than to call it a night. 

She managed to seem involved over the next hour or so that they continued to drink and gossip, all the while she was thinking of what the pair had told her. Was her looking like this team mate what was causing Kakashi to hate her?  Surely she couldn’t be that similar  that he wasn’t able to just look past it? 

A knock at the door pulled Ayako from her thoughts as Sakura bellowed for the visitor to come in. As the door opened and  Genma walked in followed by another younger shinobi that had to be around their aged followed close behind. “Hey sweetheart,” The shit eating grin he wore grinded Ayako’s gears. “Enjoying  yourselves ?” 

Before Ayako had the chance to answer Ino was up and across the room throwing herself into the arms of the mystery shinobi who she now gathered was her boyfriend Sai.

“Hello handsome, have you come to take me home.” Ino pressed herself against Sai as he  moved his arm around her  waist to hold her steady. 

“I’ve come to take both you and Sakura home.” His smile making his eyes crinkle at the edges.

“Kinky.”  Genma said and Sakura glared. “Shut it  Shiranui .” She said as she ungracefully got to her feet and made her way over to the couple as Sai did his best to hold Ino back from smothering him with affection as  well as guide a wobbly Sakura out the door. “Bye Ayako!” The drunk pair called as they were  led out the door.

She watched as  Genma made his way over and sat down on the smaller couch across from her, grinning around his  senbon . 

“They sent you here to babysit me, didn’t  they? ”  She glared at him but even he could tell there was no anger behind the look. 

“ Don't know what you mean, I’m just  here to make use of my friends very comfy couch.” He stretched out, sinking lower into the seat.

“You’re here so I’m not left alone.” She crossed her arms over her chest trying to look stern when really, she was glad she wasn’t alone  overnight .

“What? You mean I’ve come all the way here to find those two have left you alone? How could they?” She couldn’t help but laugh at his attempted to act surprised. “ Don't worry, I’ll wait right here till they come back.” 

“You’re so kind.” She stood, only swaying a little as she made her way past her babysitter heading towards Yamato’s room.

“Your rooms the other way sweetheart.” He said without turning around and she paused to look back at him. 

“Can you keep a secret?” 

“ Sure, but it’ll cost you.” He chuckled and she groaned, walking back to face him.

“What’s your price?” She glared down at him. 

“A goodnight kiss” He said as he flicked the  senbon back and forth along his lips.

She rolled her eyes. “Absolutely not,” She walked back to Yamato’s room pausing again at the door to look over her shoulder, a smile tugging at her lips. “Goodnight  Genma .”

“Sweet dreams, Ayako.” She could hear the smile in his voice.

She flipped off the lights in the lounge room as she made her way over to Yamato’s bed snuggling down into the thick blankets, breathing in deeply as his comforting pine smell along with the excessive amount of alcohol she’d consumed lulled her into a deep sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're enjoying this fic so far then please consider leaving kudos or a comment.   
> It really means a lot to me when readers take the time to share their favourite parts, quotes and even what they think is coming next.  
> It's also super encouraging and I find I'm more motivated to write when I know there are people hanging for the next chapters.
> 
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	9. Nine.

Ayako started awake at the feeling of someone standing next to her bed, her eyes going wide with fear as her heart hammered against her chest. She sat up a little too quickly her head spinning as her eyes struggled to focus on exactly who it was. 

“Hey hey, it’s just me.” Genma said quietly as he placed a glass of water and two small pills onto the bedside table. “Sorry I didn’t mean to scare you, I was in the kitchen and heard you call out in your sleep. Nightmares?” He questioned but she avoided answer, instead she stared up at him, her brows furrowed in confusion as her brain fog lifted and she slowly recalled why she was in Yamato’s bed and why Genma, of all people, was in her house. 

He sat on the edge of the bed and handed her the water and pills. “Figured you might need these after the amount of wine you girls went through last night.” She threw the pills back and took a few big gulps of water. “Did you really polish off 6 bottles?” 

“Apparently so,” Ayako rubbed at her temples, had they really drunk that much? “Thank you, my head is pounding.” 

“No worries. Can't have Kakashi and Yamato thinking I didn’t look after you.” His cheeky comment earning him a soft punch in the arm. 

“Are my boys back yet?” She watched as his smile turned into a smirk. “Your boys? No, Kakashi and Yamato aren't back yet.” He grinned at his own joke and she rolled her eyes. 

“I mean the pack Genma. Are you always this cheeky?” 

“Of course, the ladies love it.” He flicked his senbon with his tongue as he wiggled his brows, Ayako scoffed playfully. 

“Anyway Sweetheart, as much as I’d love to stay here in bed with you, I need to go and do very important jobs for the Hokage.” He stood to leave but not before reaching out to ruffle Ayako’s already messy bed hair as she scrunched her nose up at him. “You need anything before I go?” 

“I think I’m just going to sleep for another 72 hours.” She flopped back into the pillows then added, “Remember Genma, not a word.” She motioned to her sleeping arrangement. 

“Our secret.” He said with a wink before heading out. 

*** 

Ayako spent the day contently switching between lazing outside in the sunshine and curling up in Yamato’s bed but as the sun set she began to feel a little jumpy. Naturally when she heard the muffled noise that came from the main room she was instantly on high alert. Genma hadn't returned and neither had Yamato or Kakashi, even the pack were still away which left her alone over night for the first time since moving in and honestly, she wasn’t really ready to fight off an intruder. 

Slowly she climbed out of Yamato’s bed and crept on her toes towards where the noise had come from, holding her breath and readying a scream for help in case something came at her from the dark. She quietly made her way to the lamp just outside Yamato’s bedroom door and took a deep breath, holding it in as she flicked it on to illuminate the room in a soft yellow glow. Her eyes adjusted to the light as she held her raised fist steady, ready to throw a punch at whatever or whoever came at her when she noticed the crumpled figure on the floor and recognised immediately who it was from the silver mop of hair. She was by his side in seconds, falling to her knees beside him as she felt the wave of panic wash through her from head to toe causing her to release the breath she’d been holding. 

_Do I call for help? Is he dead? What if he IS dead?_ Her brain was going one hundred miles an hour until she heard him speak. 

“Ayako?” He asked softly snapping her from her brains panic babble. 

“Yes, yes it’s me. What happened, are you hurt?” She fussed over him all her worries of him being mad at her forgotten as she tried to work out if it was his blood or the blood of others that covered almost every inch of him. Either way her stomach lurched from the sight and heavy metallic smell. She’d always been a little squeamish but she’d worry about that later right now she needed to be tough. 

He didn’t respond and after a few moments she had an idea. She got up and headed quickly to the bathroom, cranking the hot water and readying towels before racing back to Kakashi. She started removing his weapons and flak vest taking her time and keeping her movements slow so as not to startle him. Next, she moved to put his arm across her shoulders and when he didn’t protest, she gently helped him get up off the floor doing her best to hold some of his body weight as they shuffled towards the bathroom. It was a struggle with him being so much taller than her but they made it and once inside she reached for the hem of his shirt to strip him of his clothes, pausing to look up and see if he was going to stop her. 

“Can I touch you?” She asked softly. His one visible eye was looking off to the side, his head hanging low as he gave a small nod of consent. Removing his gloves first she dropped them to the floor. His knuckles were bruised, even split in a few places and as her thumb ran softly over them, she noticed how his fingers twitched slightly whether from pain or just her touching him she wasn't sure. 

_Whatever happen it must have really taken a toll on him. He’s never this trusting with me._ She thought as she began to gently remove his pants and long sleeve shirt, leaving just his underwear and the small piece of cloth that covered his neck and half his face knowing that both would definitely be a deal breaker. Reaching up a little too quickly to untie his hitai-ate, she saw him flinch away from her touch. 

“Can I take this off as well?” She paused mid reach, up on her tip toes with her hands frozen in place. 

He took a moment before he nodded and Ayako removed the headband, managing to hold in a gasp as she saw what he hid under it. His eye had a scar running vertically through it, which itself wouldn’t have shocked her if he hadn’t of opened said eye to reveal a blood red iris. It spun as she looked into it, as if gauging her reaction and Ayako kept her expression blank, doing her best to keep the feeling of shock from showing on her face. Kakashi looked away again as she gently guided him into the waters warm spray then reached for a cloth and some soap. His head stayed down as she carefully washed away the blood and dirt making sure that he really wasn’t injured. The water ran clear before she spoke. 

“Finish up while I grab you some clothes okay? I’ll only be a minute” She said softly as she turned to leave. 

She threw open Kakashi’s bedroom door and grabbed whatever was laying on the end of his bed before she returned to the bathroom, stopping dead in her tracks when she saw Kakashi standing in the middle of the room with the towel wrapped low around his hips. Even with his head dropped low she could tell his mask had also been removed. She caught herself staring and quickly placed his clothes on the counter before turning to leave, shutting the door behind her. Letting out a breath she didn’t know she had been holding in, Ayako lent back on the door and slowly slid to the floor. She felt her face become hot at the image of Kakashi fresh out of the shower, water dripping down his chest, the little silver trail that disappeared below the towel. 

_I just saw my housemate basically naked. How the hell am I going to forget how good he just looked? Wait, what? Ayako seriously? This really_ _isn't_ _the time..._

She was babbling away in her brain over how there is clearly something wrong with her for checking out her _very clearly_ emotionally and mentally broken housemate when without any warning the door behind her suddenly swung open. So suddenly, in fact, that she had no time to catch herself and ended up flat on her back. 

“Oof, what the hell…” She was cut short by the sight of Kakashi looking down at her and even with his mask over half his face she could tell her was frowning. Without his hitae-ate his face became just a tiny bit easier to read. She stood quickly and brushed herself off as he pushed past her, not bothering with being gentle about it and knocking her off balance. 

“Hey are you alright?” She followed behind him, a little shock at the sudden change in his demeanour as he stormed towards his room. “Do you want to talk about what happened?” 

“Stay away from me.” He said the words so flatly she missed it the first time. 

“Wait,” She reached for his arm, his back still turned towards her. “Sorry I didn’t hear?” 

“I said stay away from me!” He spun, ripping his arm away from her grip and basically roared the words in her face. It wasn’t the first time he’d directed his anger towards her, however his sharingan made him seem so much more intimidating and Ayako couldn’t help the small squeak of fear as she took a few steps backwards. Sure that her fear was clearly written on her face, she turned and ran towards Yamato’s room, slamming the door on Kakashi before he had the chance to come after her and dived into the bed, pulling the blanket up over her head. 

_What the hell was that?_ She thought as tears stung her eyes. What she needed was a good cry and so she let them spill over, not bothering to hold back with no one here to see. Soon she’d made a rather large damp spot on Yamato’s pillow and moved to flip it to the dry side. She wasn’t stupid enough to think he’d suddenly forgotten whatever had caused the rift between them but when she’d found him broken in the loungeroom she figured just maybe he was ready to work things out. She never expected him to turn on her as abruptly as he had. Squeezing her eyes shut she realised she was shivering even enveloped in the warm of Yamato’s bed. 

In that moment she didn’t care if Yamato found her in his bed in the morning she would deal with the questions and embarrassment, she just wanted him home. 

*** 

_Ayako was standing in the middle of the kitchen watching as Tomoko buzzed back and forth preparing for the usual weekend evening rush of patrons._ _She took in the sight of the woman who had all but raised her, while_ _never hiding the truth from her, not about her father or her mother's struggles. She loved her more than anything._

_“T._ _..Tomoko_ _”_ _She tried to call to the woman but the words wouldn’t come out, they just rolled around in her mind like an echo. Ayako was trapped inside her own body as it moved along on its own and the sudden realisation that this was a repeat of that same day and would again have to leave Tomoko behind made her blood feel icy in her veins._

_She knew when the sounds of shouts carried through from the street that Tomoko would leave to inspect what was going on and sure enough Ayako watched as the older lady wiped her hands on her apron and marched towards the sound, her thin lips turned downwards in a frown. She knew that Tomoko would return moments later and start frantically searching through the cupboards and again Ayako watched as she did just that, a look of pure panic across her usually stern face._

_Having no control over her actions, Ayako ran towards the front windows wishing she could tell herself not to look, that the sight of her village burning and the people she’s grown up around screaming as they’re cut down by the rogues would haunt her dreams most likely forever._

_“Ayako listen to me!”_ _Her body turned back towards Tomoko and she could easily remember how she couldn’t make sense_ _of_ _the situation, the way her brain had been so slow to catch up and how Tomoko had_ _literally_ _shook_ _the sense into her._

_“Ayako you need to run and keep running. Don’t turn back for anything, do you understand?” The older woman said as she pulled her in for one last hug before sending her off running through the back door as they heard the front one being all but smashed in. Ayako felt the small glimmer of hope Tomoko’s words had given her that day, that maybe if she ran fast_ _enough,_ _she could get help in time to save the only people she had, her little mix matched family._

The sound of Tomoko’s screams as she left the older woman behind caused Ayako to jump awake, her breath coming in short gasps as she tried to calm herself down enough to recognise her surroundings. Oh how she wished she had of told Shiko she loved her and to stay safe when she slipped out to meet up with her secret boyfriend the night before and never had the chance to come home. Thoughts of how she should have held Tomoko a little bit tighter and told her sisters how much she loved them a little more often would eat at her for the rest of her life. 

“Hey hey Ayako you’re fine.” She instantly recognised the voice and had to refrain from near throwing herself at him. Tears welled up in her eyes and relief washed over her as she looked up at him, she was safe now. A little heartbroken and lost, but safe and cared for. 

“Was it about your village?” Yamato asked and she nodded, her bottom lip sticking out slightly. He didn’t press her further for the details of her dream but could tell there was something else weighing on her from the way she peered around him and towards the door. 

“Did something happen? Why’d you sleep here?” He watched as her eyes widened only briefly at the realisation that she’d been caught in his bed. 

_Oh shit..._ Ayako thought to herself as she remembered making the spur of the moment decision that she didn’t care if he found her in his bed. 

“Your room? This is my room what are you on about?” The lie went smoothly or at least she’d thought so, although Yamato’s raised eyebrow said otherwise. 

“Gosh you’re right this IS your room. Silly me, I’ll be off now.” She made to climb off the bed and past Yamato when his hand wrapped around her arm to stop her, one leg already hanging over the edge of his bed. 

“Firstly, I am well aware of you sleeping in my bed when I’m not home. You think I would be fooled by you just making the bed?” She stared at him with wide eyes, her mouth making a small O shape as her face flushed pink. She was so sure she’d gotten away with it... 

“It was only like twice.” She mumbled in defence. 

“Secondly, Ayako I can see you’ve clearly been upset and not just from a nightmare so please talk to me?” His hand dropped to rest absentmindedly on her knee as he waited for her to explain. She had no idea how he could read her so easily but as her shoulders slumped forward any thoughts she’d had of playing off the incident with Kakashi vanished as she caved at the concern he showed for her. This was exactly why she had wanted him home. 

She told him how she’d found Kakashi in the lounge room resembling something of a human husk and how she’d helped wash the blood away. When Yamato’s eyebrows shot up she realised she’d forgotten to clarify, reassuring him quickly that all Kakashi’s important parts were covered. Then she told him how he’d been alone for no more than 10 minutes when he burst out of the bathroom and then yelled for her to stay away. Up until now she hadn’t realised how truly scared of Kakashi she had been in that moment, tears stung at her eyes again at the memory of him turning on her. 

Yamato sat calmly listening to her speak without interrupting or letting his face show any emotion, he was inconveniently good at holding a poker face... But when she’d finished talking, Yamato’s thumb which had been rubbing small circles in an attempt to soothe her had stilled. They both looked down suddenly aware of his hand hot on her thigh. Wait her bare thigh? 

Ayako had never seen a man recoil so quickly, she shifted slightly so that her underwear was no longer slightly visible under the hem of her long t-shirt. When she looked back up at him his face gave nothing away but she knew from the way he wouldn’t look at her that he was fighting hard to keep the emotions off his face. Her own face was getting warm and not from embarrassment. 

“Sorry I didn’t realise.” He cleared his throat making sure his voice stayed composed as he stood from the bed. 

“Yamato...” Her voice trailed off not knowing where to start but not wanting him to leave just yet. His eyes flicked to hers, politely waiting for her to finish although she could tell by the way his body was angled towards the door that he wanted out. 

“You make me feel safe.” She said keeping it as simple as she could and watched as a number of emotions passed across his face as he absorbed her confession before they vanished as quickly as they had appeared. She knew he must have been caught off guard. 

In the end without saying anything he turned back towards her, taking a step closer so he could rest a hand on top of her head. Ayako let her head drop forward, resting her forehead against his lower stomach as she moved her hands so that she could lace her fingers into his belt loops, holding him in place. After a few moments of being close he let out a noise that sounded like a defeated sigh before ruffling her already tangled hair and turning to leave the room. 

“It’s still early, try go back to sleep and I’ll talk to Kakashi.” As Yamato shut the door he paused for a moment, listening to see if he’d upset Ayako by leaving. He wasn’t good at these situations and definitely wasn’t used to having a woman so comfortable around him. What she had said continued to roll around in his mind and as he showered off the dirt and grime from his mission something settled in his chest, something he hadn’t felt maybe ever. 

*** 

The sound of someone in the kitchen and the smell of bacon and eggs filled Yamato’s room as Ayako lay staring at the ceiling half wishing she could just stay there forever. Moments later her stomach betrayed her with a loud growl and she sighed. Getting up from the bed to find her shorts that she had unknowingly discarded somewhere on the floor of Yamato’s bedroom she remembered how Tomoko used to make her and the girls bacon and eggs on weekends and it was by far her favourite day of the week because of it. Thoughts of her old home tugged at her heart but she pushed the sadness away and told herself how Tomoko would be disappointed to see her sad, she would tell her that she didn’t make that sacrifice just so Ayako could wallow in sadness for the rest of her life. She breathed out any lingering negative thoughts caught in her chest, tugged on her pants and brushed her fingers through her mane of hair before quietly padding out to the kitchen in search of her share of breakfast. 

Yamato heard his bedroom door open and watched as Ayako made her way over to him. 

She spotted him cooking and gave him half a smile. “Don’t suppose you have some for me, Chef?” Testing out if maybe she had made him uncomfortable earlier this morning in his room. 

His stomached flipped slightly as he took in her bed head and oversized t-shirt which covered her shorts but left her toned legs bare for him to see. He would be the first to admit that she was definitely beautiful. Lady Hokage had told him how Ayako helped at her adopted mother’s establishment, pouring for customers as they gambled away their earnings and now he understood completely why men would ask her specifically, just so they could feel like they were special even if it was temporary. 

“I guess, because of how nicely you ask.” He dished up three plates and looked up to hand her one but not before he saw her attention snap towards Kakashi who had been sitting silently on the couch going unnoticed until now. She stood motionless her eyes widened slightly and for a moment he thought she might run back to the room. 

“Morning Kakashi” She mumbled quietly but he knew his senpai still heard. Yamato saw Kakashi’s eyes flick to her briefly, giving her a quick nod before turning back to his book. Ayako’s head dropped and shoulders slumped as she took her plate. 

“I might go eat outside in the sun.” She mumbled to no one in particular as she headed towards the door leading into the back yard. She felt defeated once again but tried to convince herself that he did at least acknowledge her greeting. As the door clicked and Yamato knew she was far enough away he took his chance. 

“You know how much you’ve upset her right?” He said as he lent against the counter, Kakashi stayed lounged across the couch nose in his book. 

“I know.” Was all he responded with, not even glancing up. Yamato groaned as he pushed off the counter, making his way over to the couch opposite Kakashi. 

“Then why do you keep doing things that you know will hurt her? You know how much she’s come to trust us, maybe even need us.” He knew this would get his attention and sure enough his head snapped up from his book the second the words left his mouth. 

“She needs you, Tenzo, not me. I don’t come home to her curled up in my bed waiting for me.” He exhaled sharply through his nose as he put away his book and turned his full attention to Yamato. 

“You panicked, didn’t you? Last night after the near failed mission, you finally saw how much she’s beginning to care about you and you lashed out to put some distance between you?” He knew Kakashi never really meant to hurt her he just didn’t know how to let people in. Hell, Yamato understood why, with everything he’d been through over the years Kakashi was beyond cautious of who he let into the most private parts of his life. Yamato was lucky to be his closest friend. 

“You should have seen her Yamato, the look on her face. No one has looked at me like that in years. She was so worried for me and I just don’t deserve that, especially not from her.” He shook his head remembering how gentle she had been with him, even asking permission to touch him. It made his chest feel hollow to think of how scared she was when he lashed out at her. He closed his eyes and could still see the look on her face before she ran from him. 

“You’ve seen a lot of bad and had to make a lot of hard decisions over the years. Don’t let that ruin the one decision you could make that would bring a bit of happiness back into your life.” He stood and made his way to leave giving the silver haired man time to his own thoughts. 

“And before you say it, you _do_ deserve happiness. We _both_ do.” He added knowing that the voice of doubt in the older shinobi’s mind was certainly saying otherwise. Yamato picked up his plate of food and placed Kakashi’s on the table before disappearing out the door after Ayako. 

*******

Ayako heard someone follow her out into the yard a few minutes later but she didn’t turn to see who, she kept her attention on the eggs she was pushing around her plate. Yamato sat next to her and quietly started eating his breakfast leaving her to decide whether or not she was in the mood for a conversation. Ayako liked that about him, he never felt the need to push her to do things and was happy to move at her pace. 

“Nothing like a bit of regret to ruin your appetite, am I right?” She tried to joke but the sadness in her voice was clear. 

“You know if you don’t eat it I’m going to feel like you don’t like my cooking.” He said knowing she would take the bait. Her head snapped up to look at him, brows knitted together before she started shovelling down her food. He laughed and continued to eat his own, noticing she didn’t stop until her plate was all but licked clean. 

“You know I love your cooking. It might even be on par with Tomoko’s and that’s a big compliment.” She said as she sat the plate on the grass to the side of her so she could uncross her legs and stretch out in the sun. 

“She used to cook for us girls every day. We’d all do our part to help with cleaning and other chores but when it came to cooking it was all Tomoko. It was the best part of our days, sitting around the table talking and sharing food. Tsunade used to talk Tomoko into letting us girls drink sake with dinner and the two of them would end up so drunk they’d fall asleep right there at the table.” She laughed at the memory of coming out from her shared room with her oldest sister Shiko, only to find Tomoko and Tsunade slumped over the table, their arms around each other. 

“Definitely sounds like Tsunade, she could drink the whole of the Hidden Leaf under the table. Tomoko must have been just as bad if she could keep up with her.” He laughed looking over to Ayako relaxing in the sun. 

“And thank you, for sharing that memory with me. I’m glad you’re able to smile when you talk about it now.” Her head turned to look at him and he could see how much she appreciated him, it made his stomach flip again. He leant to pick up her plate and stood to make his way back into the house, half because he was nervous and half because he wanted to check on Kakashi. 

“I’m going to head out and grab a few things, is there anything you’d like me to pick up for you? He knew she was likely to decline just as she had the previous times he had offered to take her out of the house to anywhere other than the training ground but he knew she appreciated the offer anyway. 

“Would you mind if I came with you? It’s probably about time I left the house and learnt my way around to places other than the training grounds.” She stood and followed him into the house, noting the flash of shock that crossed his face. 

“Of course. Can you be ready to go in 15?” He started filling the sink and she headed towards her own room this time. 

“Sure, I’ll just get changed” Ayako called over her shoulder and as she passed the couch where Kakashi still slouched, nose still in his book. She swore there were times he was close to needing it surgically removed… Taking two steps backwards she cleared the nervousness from her throat before she spoke. 

“Would you like to come with us?” She looked down at Kakashi as he moved the book away from his face to look at her. 

“Sure” He knew she deserved more of a response but for the moment it was the most he could give her. Though from the look of happiness that bloomed across her face he knew that for her it was enough. She raced off shutting the door a little too firmly behind her. He looked over to where he knew Yamato was staring at him, grinning from ear to ear. 

“Why do you look like that?” Kakshi walked over and started helping with the dishes, needing something to occupy himself with while they waited for Ayako. 

“Nothing, It’s just nice to see you taking my advice Senpai” Kakashi scoffed in response, throwing the dish towel at his friends face. 

"Don't get ahead of yourself." He looked towards where Ayako had disappeared into her room as Yamato gave his shoulder a firm squeeze.

He wasn't all that certain that he deserved happiness although Yamato did have one thing right. Ayako did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please consider leaving kudos or a comment even if its just to share your favourite parts, quotes or even what you think is coming next.
> 
> I've made a tumblr! Find me by searching Heyitswrenn, feel free to follow, message etc. :)


	10. A Little Update...

Wow it's been a hot minute since an update and for that I'm really sorry! Not long after posting ch. 9 I read over the original chapters and there were things I wasn't happy with, only little things but it still bugged me that it wasn't exactly how I wanted it. I began tweaking things and then stumbled across the most amazing beta, hype person and friend (that you pseudochan <3) who has helped so much with getting me back on track with writing and idea building for not only this fic but future ones as well. Thus, it's turned out to be longer than I had originally planned... which I'm certain none of you will have an issues with XD

So I wanted you to know that I appreciate your patience and your lovely comments (I reread them frequently for motivation!) but I hope you don't mind me asking you to wait just a little longer for a new update. I certainly haven't given up on this fic but I am going to have it almost completed before the next chapter goes up so that I can post weekly like I originally promised!

If you feel like it, come find me on tumblr ~ HeyItsWrenn or even chat fics with me on discord ~ HeyitsWrenn#3111 xx


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